A Start of a New Beginning Part 2
by Ro-Cel
Summary: Third year of Harry Potter. (Please know that 2nd year of Harry Potter was skipped). The Drama between Roman, Celes, Lee, Fred, and Harry continues.


Roman McTaggert paced back and forth in the living room of her manor. It was 2 o'clock in the morning her time but 9 o'clock London's time. She should be on platform 9 and 3 quarters, but was she? No! She was being held prisoner by her father! After second year ended she was sent back to Asia to train. She had learned spiritual training of keeping one spirit calm. It was really interesting to do so. The monks at the monastery were very impressed on her progress, but her father seemed to be disappointed. The first summer of training he had beat her severely and then sent her back to London 2 weeks before September 1st. This summer she was in Asia for until a few days ago. But instead of going to London and meeting her father, she was sent back to New Mexico. She was so furious. Ever since she had come back she had trained her body to be on London's time so she was wide awake while the house full of maids was calling it a night.

"Miss, Roman, would you like something to eat?" A maid asked her.

"No, I will be fine." She told the maid and dismissed her. Roman sighed as she sat on the couch and stared at the clock. She cursed in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese then ended with "Where in the bloody hell is he?"

Roman paced around the room again. She thought about how she would just attack her father when he walks through the door. There was no point in prolonging the fight. Might as well get it over and done with; with the way things are going she knew she would be late; maybe a few days late. She stopped short and looked at the clock again. "What if he decides not to send me back to Hogwarts?" Tears leaped to her eyes. "Celes, Lee, Fed, And George will be worried." She quickly shook her head to clear it. "I have to stop thinking like this." From the front door she heard keys. She quickly ran to the foyer and watched the door open. Her hear beat with nervousness, excitement, and happiness. She would be leaving soon. She frowned when she saw her nanny walk through the door. Nanny Ann was her name. She was short, slender, with black hair and brown eyes. Roman always known she was a neighbor who would come by to visit her mother but after her death she would come by and take care of her and make sure she was well cared for. Roman's father had then hired her to not only look after Roman, but to also hire tutors for her education.

Ann paused in surprise and then smiled, "Roman," she breathed. She frowned as she looked down at her watch, "Roman, it's 4 in the morning, shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Roman looked behind her and frowned.

"He is not her, sweetie."

Roman made a sound between a groan and a growl. She turned and walked back to the parlor.

"Roman, why don't you go on to bed?"

"I can't." She snapped at her. "I should be on the train to Hogwarts right now."

Everything seemed to register to Ann, "He hasn't come home?" She said.

"No, he hasn't come home. He sent me to Asia to train for nearly 4 weeks, and then flew me here, knowing I should be in London." Roman growled. She stopped in front of the fireplace and glared into the fire.

"Roman, come into the kitchen and eat something." Ann told her.

"I'm not hungry." Roman's stomach protested with a growl.

"I think you are. I'll feed you and we will do something together that you will enjoy."

After eating roman sighs and traces the counter top tile with her finger tip. Ann sat in front of her and smiled, "You have grown well. How tall are you?"

"The monks said I am 1.6002 meters."

"And what is that in feet and inches."

Roman frowned and thought about it, "I believe it is 5 feet and 3 inches."

Ann smiled, "You are growing so tall. Come stand up and take off your red sweater."

Roman did as she said. She wore black cotton pants and a black tank top. Ann walked around her and teen stood in front of her, "Yes, you are growing into a fine young lady. Your hips are starting to fill in nicely." She walked around Roman again, "I knew you would have your mother's backside." She smacked her on the butt and Roman jumped with a little smile. "And your breast is filling in too." Ann squealed and hugged Roman. "You are growing into such a lovely young lady."

"Ann, you're... choking me."

"Oh, sorry. I just got so excited. Come, we shall dance."

"Dance?"

"Yes, dance; don't tell me you have forgotten."

"No, I haven't forgotten, I just don't feel like dancing at the moment."

"Oh, come on, I haven't seen you in 2 years and you are going to deprive an old lady of the little pleasures she gets?"

Roman laughed and allowed Ann to take her to the ball room. After a few hours of dancing Roman sat on the ground laughing as Ann tried to get up from a kneeling position. They had danced different hulas to different song and they tried to do a difficult one by going down on their knees but Ann gotten stuck.

"You are an evil child, laughing at another's pain."

"I'm sorry; Ann, but you should have seen your face. It was priceless." Roman said as she got up and helped Ann up to her feet.

"Evil, child." She said as she hit Roman's arm. She sighed as she sat on a chair she watched Roman laugh and continued to dance. She smiled as she saw the joy on her face. "Roman, is there a boy you like at school?"

Roman stumbled over her feet then turned and looked at Ann, "What?"

Ann smiled, "Is there a boy you like?"

"Why would you ask that?"

Ann smiled, "I just want to know if there was someone you liked? What about your friends? Have you made many friends?"

"Uh, I made some friends."

"And boys?"

"None," Roman said quickly and turned her head as a brief pink tint colored her cheeks.

Ann laughed, "I do hope I get to meet a boy soon. I think your father misses the sound of laughter and screaming from children."

Roman glared at the ground, "I really don't care what he misses. It doesn't concern me. Obviously he rather be out of town and dump me somewhere out of his way."

"Roman, your father misses you."

"The bloody hell he does." She grabbed her shoes and stormed out the room.

Ann sighed as she followed Roman, "Sweetie, I didn't mean to upset you."

Roman sat in the parlor pulling on her shoes.

"Roman, you have to..."

"No, I don't have to do anything. I just need to sit here and wait to be released."

"He isn't punishing you."

"Obviously, he is and he is doing an great job of it."

"Roman Phoenix McTaggert, you know damn well if he could be here, he would."

"Do I Ann? Do I really know him well? As far as I know, he rather leave me prisoner here and never show his face or interacts with me. I'm stuck here and there is no way I can ever be free of him unless I die and we both know that is what he wished I had done when I was a child. I know he wished he could have finished the job he had started with my mother."

Ann gasped and slapped Roman, "You have no right to say that!"

Roman stared angrily at the fire in the fireplace. Tears burned in her eyes as she flexed her jaw. She was on the edge of losing her temper and falling into a dark void. Very calmly she spoke, "Ann, I will be 14 in February and not once had he sent me a birthday gift, not once did he sent me a letter, a message, or a note. All he has done is fight and argue with me. He has never had a gentle hand in dealing with me. So to say that I do not have the right to say what I just said is wrong of you." The fire light flickered in her eyes. "I can say whatever the hell I want and I advise that you remember that you are not my mother. My mother was killed by my father's hand and you just work for him. When it comes to me, you are no longer needed. This will most likely be the last time you will see me. I no longer need you."

"Roman,"

"Please leave." Roman dismissed her coldly.

Ann squared her shoulders, and then nodded her head, "He sleeps in your room everyday that you are gone." With that said she left the room.

Roman felt her finish whatever business she came to do and left. When the house was empty of her presents, Roman's body started to shake violently. A cold hand seemed to have taken hold of her and did not want to let go.

"Miss McTaggert," a voice called. It was as if it were far off distance. "Miss McTaggert."

It called to her again. Roman wanted to see who it was but the person was to far away to see and she was so cold, she didn't want to even move. As she closed her eyes to blink she felt warmth trickle down her mouth and spread to her stomach. From her stomach it spread to her limbs. She slowly started to move and slowly became aware of her surroundings. When she looked around the room she noticed some of the housemaids her huddled at the entry of the parlor room looking at her in fear. She frowned and also noticed it was 10:30 in the morning. She also noticed Professor Snape was looking down at her with what looked like concern.

"Professor, what are you doing here?"

"I have the misfortune to be sent like an owl to come and retrieve you." He sneered.

Roman smiled, "Awe, Professor Snape, you can't go around saying such things, or you will have me thinking you actually do have some kind of feeling s for me."

"Somehow you have already managed to think I do. It shows how dense Gryffindor really are."

Roman laughed, "Thank God, you are here to make sure I get to school, I might have gotten lost."

Professor Snape sneered at her again. Roman slowly stood up and stretched her legs. She had been sitting in that same position for hours and she felt stiff. On top of that she was tired.

"Miss, we brought down you bag you brought home with you." One of the maids told her.

Roman nodded looked up at Professor Snape, "I assume my father sent a message with you." Snape handed her an envelope. "Thank you." She opened it and glared at the 5 words on the paper. 'I will see you soon'. She stuffed the paper in her bag. "I am ready when you are."

"Have you traveled by floo powder?"

"Once,"

"Your destination is Hogwarts."

"I thought you couldn't enter Hogwarts by floo powder."

"You can't but your father has made a special request."

"Oh, joy." She said sarcastically. She stepped into the fire threw the powder down and said clearly, "Hogwarts," moments later she was stepping out the fire in Professor's Snape's office. She had only been in his office 3 other times, and each time she was itching to touch everything.

A few moments later Professor Snape stepped out of the fire. "Touch nothing," he snapped.

"But, professor, everything is so tempting." She complained as she looked around.

"Get out of my office before I take points from you."

She pouted as she looked at him, "Pro..."

"Just leave."

Roman eyed him suspiciously, she felt that he was feeling uneasy about something but she didn't know why. With a shrug she left and headed for the Great Hall. She handed her bag off to an eager house elf and entered the Great Hall. When she entered she noticed the sorting was just about to begin. Professor Dumbledore waved her in with a smile. She gave a little smile and quickly found her way to Celes.

Celes frowned as she wrapped an arm around here, "Why are you so pale?"

"Am I?" Roman rubbed her cheeks and slapped them a few times. "How is that?"

Celes just smiled and shook her head, "What happened? I knew you might be late but I didn't think you would be this late."

"Long story, I'll tell you in a little bit."

A few seats down Fred, George, and Lee were staring at her. It was weird how they were staring at her and it was starting to make her uncomfortable. She stuck her tongue out at them and it seemed to break whatever trance they were in. They shifted in their seats and then returned their attention back to the sorting. She smiled as she saw that Fred and George were sporting what looked like black eyes that were covered up by some make up. After the sorting was done and announcements were done the feast began.

"So what happened?" Celes asked as she started to fill Roman's plate.

"After I went to training I was sent back home until today. He left me there for 3 days. Three day! Alone, I was finally released about an hour ago. Snape is the one that came and got me." Roman stabbed her roast beef with her fork. She felt an odd ripple go through the room and she looked up and saw Lee and Fred staring at her again. She frowned and turned towards Celes. "Did I miss something on the train today?" She asked.

Celes frowned, "Well, the train did stop for a little bit to allow the Dementors to check the train.

"The... what?"

"Dementors, haven't you heard? The Azkaban guards are looking for Serious Black. He escaped from Azkaban."

"No, I haven't. I've been at the monastery until 3 days ago. And then I didn't even bother to read the newspaper or listen to the radio." Another weird vibe went through the room. Roman looked around the hall and noticed there were a few boys from Ravenclaw staring at her. She frowned as she looked down at herself. She was covered and decent but she felt like they were all staring at her with an odd expression. Her sweater was wrapped around her waist, her tank top wasn't low cut, and her pants were covering her legs. "Celes, do you have a strange feeling people are staring at us?"

Celes looked around and paused as a boy from the Ravenclaw table walked up to them.

"I was wondering if you girls are going to eat the rest of the rolls and if not could we have them?" He asked a little shyly.

Roman frowned as she looked at the rolls, hey are you guys going to eat the rest of the rolls?" She asked the kids from across the table. They shook their heads and pushed the plate towards her. Roman took a roll and then passed the plate to the Ravenclaw boy.

He thanked her as he took a hold of the plate and brushed his fingers against hers. He winked at her and walked away. Roman just stared at him with an open mouth as everything seemed to don on her. People weren't staring at her the guys were in heat and they were focusing on her! She heard a growl few seats from her and she turned and saw Lee and Fred glaring at the boy.

"I think maybe, that boy likes you." Celes teased.

Roman laughed, "I don't think so. Hey, I made you something for your birthday."

Celes beamed at her, "Really? Oh! We went to Egypt this summer."

"Ah, so that explains the tan." Roman smiled. "Oh, by the way, thanks for buying my school stuff. I promise I will pay you back when I get the chance."

"It's no problem, I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

"Yeah, by the way, did Fred and George try to get into my trunk again?"

Celes giggled, "Yes they did. As a result of it they got to black eyes. What kind of trap did you put on your trunk?"

"Well after the summer when first year ended, remember when I told you some of my supplies where either missing or were low?"

"Yes,"

"Well, Fred and George were the ones that were getting into my stash. So this summer I put a permanent blacken eye jinx on my trunk. That is why when I told you when you open my trunk make sure you put a drop of that potion I gave you. It disables the jinx long enough for you to do what you need and then the jinx reactivates until I remove it permanently."

Celes laughed, "Aunt Molly was so upset to see their faces like that. She tried to take away the black eyes but it only seemed to make it worse. And then I tried to cover it up with makeup but it seemed to melt away after a few hours."

"Then it worked." she squealed and turned to glare at Fred and George. They looked at her then smiled.

Fred shook his head as he continued to eat.

After dinner everyone headed to their common rooms. Once in their common rooms Fred and Lee cornered her, "Ah, hey guys." She greeted cheerfully.

"Don't suck up to us." Fred told her.

"We want to know what that boy wanted." Lee snapped.

"Boy? What boy?" Roman asked.

"You bloody well know which boy we are talking about." Fred poked.

Roman smiled, "Wasn't he cute!" She sighed.

"No, no, he wasn't." Lee frowned.

"Oh don't worry, he just wanted some rolls."

"Speaking of rolls, why are you dressed like that?" Fred demanded.

"Dressed like what?"

"Dressed like you are some hussy." Lee answered.

Roman's mouth dropped open, "Excuse me? And before you go on and insult me more be warned you better choose your words wisely." She growled.

Fred and Lee frowned, "You are showing too much skin." Fred told her.

"Especially here and here." Lee pointed at her shoulders and the general area of her chest."

"I am wearing a tank top, I am so sorry I could not change clothes to please my two fathers," she said sarcastically. "God, what is wrong with you guys!"

"What is wrong with us, what is wrong with you?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, why aren't you wearing your sweater like normal people." Lee asked.

"I know you aren't talking to me about fashion." She grumbled. "And why are you being so mean? Why can't you just say hi and give me a hug? Celes did."

Lee and Fred looked at each other and grumbled something under their breathe.

"Come on, bring it in." Roman told them as she opened her arms to them. "Hug me or I won't speak to you guys for the rest of the year." She threatened.

"If you won't do it, then I will." George pushed them out of the way, "Roman, dear, it has been too long." He told her as he hugged her.

Roman giggled and hugged him back. "Oh, George, I missed you too." She cupped her hands around his face then socked his arm and then socked Fred's arms.

"Owe! What was that for?" They said in unison."

"You sneaky little imps tried to open my trunk!"

"It was George's idea," Fred accused.

"It was Fred's idea," George also accused.

"Yeah, either way both of you got what you deserved." She glared at them. She laughed as she looked at them. They looked like sad puppies with their heads down in shame. "I have some cream that will make them go away. Hey Lee,"

"What?"

Roma wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him. "I missed you." She smiled.

Lee shook his head as he smiled down at her, "Missed you too, butterfly."

"Hey! Lee and George gets a hug but I don't?" Fred complained.

"You missed out." She told him as she crossed her arms and put her nose in the air.

"Why, you little," he wrapped his arms around her growled as he squeezed her.

Roman giggled and hugged him back. "I missed you, you jerk."

He laughed and hugged her harder, "I missed you too." He whispered back. "Now, go get that cream." The told her as he pushed her away."

"Say please."

"Now," the twins said in unison.

"Rude!" She grumbled as she ran up to her room. She deactivated the jinks and dug through her trunk until she found a white cream. She mixed it was some herbs and it turned yellow. She went back down the stars and sat the twins down. "I knew the both of you would try to go through my trunk. You are just so nosy!" She scolded as she placed the cream around their eyes gently.

"We must admit; we did underestimate you this time." George told her. He watched as she placed the cream around Fred's eye. And saw the black bruises disappear.

"I will not do this for you again, next time I will let you suffer for a whole year."

Fred laughed, "Next time we will be more cautious."

Roman rolled her eyes as she switched to George. "That should do it." She told them as she closed the lid over the jar. "Now if you will excuse me, I need to wish your cousin and my best friend a happy birthday."

"Good night Roman."

"Good night."

From across the room Roman dragged Celes to their room and gave the bag to her. Celes opened the bag and pulled out what looked like a crystal ball. She frowned a little. "Roman, I'm not taking Divination."

Roman laughed, "I know, it's a dream catcher."

"A dream catcher?"

"Yeah, in my Native American cultural we have dream catchers." Roman pulled out a circular ring with a web inside and feathers hanging from it. "According to Native Americans, dreams that humans have while they sleep, are sent by sacred spirits as messages. According to our Legend, in the center of the Dream Catcher there is a hole. Good dreams are permitted to reach the sleeper through this hole in the web. As for the bad dreams, the web traps them and they disappear at dawn with the first light. For some, they try to determine what messages are being past onto them and what the message represents." Roman told her.

"Ah, I see," she said as she sat on Roman's bed looking at it.

"The Dream Catcher represents several meanings. All of the decorations and materials used to decorate them, all have a special meaning. A feather represents a symbol of breath or air which is attached so it hangs from the center of the ring. It is essential for life. A baby watching the air playing with the feather on her cradle board was entertained while also being given a lesson on the importance of good air. This lesson comes forward in the way that the feather of the Owl is kept for wisdom, a woman's feather; and the Eagle feather is kept for courage, a man's feather. This is not to say that the use of each is restricted by gender; but that to use the feather each is aware of the gender properties she/he is invoking. We can be very specific about gender roles and identity."

"Wow," she breathed as she stroked the feathers, "You know I often wondered how our magic could be different from the Americans."

Roman smiled, "Anyways, I decided to make you a real dream catcher. Usually those are sold to tourist as keepsakes and don't have any power to them. So I added the necessary items for you in the crystal ball. An owl feather and eagle feather. I added some sugar and spice, then everything nice, and there you go, a dream catcher. Look closer into the ball."

Celes smiled and looked into the ball. It started to glow a soft red, then turned colors to blues and purples. She saw a fluttering of butterflies, flowers blowing in a gentle breeze, and puppies playing with each other, and kittens, which looked like soft cotton balls, climbed over each other. It felt so real to Celes she could have sworn she heard children laughing.

"I hope you like it." Roman smiled.

Celes grinned down at the ball and they looked up at Roman. "I love it, and it seems like I get a piece of you every time you give me something." She said getting up and putting it on her bedside table. "We should get some sleep, big day tomorrow new subjects." She said going over and hugging Roman.

"Sleep sounds good."

Celes turned to her trunk and pulled out the pjs Molly had made her for the school year. She thought back on the last week's events. Spending a whole week with Harry had been such a delight for her. Suddenly Harry Potter filled her thoughts and she fell asleep a smile on her face.

The next morning Celes woke at dawn and walked over to Roman's bed. "Ro, its morning. Up." Celes said going to the bathroom and showering. When she came out Roman was pulling herself out of bed. Celes giggled and went over to gather her bag for her day. She was thrilled she was going to take Muggle Studies this term. She put her last book in her bag and turned to see Roman coming out of the bathroom. "Breakfast awaits!" Celes trilled.

And Roman winced.

She waited for Roman to gather her things and then the two set off. Celes nearly collided with Harry at the bottom of the stairs she gave a small smile blushing. "Sorry Harry." She said softly.

"It's alright Celes." He said holding her by her shoulders. She blushed deeper and looked down.

Roman came up behind them and cleared her throat and Celes jumped away from Harry falling into Roman.

"Sorry Ro." She mumbled getting up and moving past Harry trying to mask her embarrassment.

"Have a moment there with Potter did you?" Roman teased as they made their way to the Great Hall.

"Yeah, I guess it was quite nice last week with him." She said coming to the top of the stairs in the front hall.

"Oh my God! Celes Diggory!" she heard a familiar silky voice say and turned a grin on her face. All thoughts of one Harry Potter were gone because her brain filled of Blaise Zabini instantly.

"Celes, hi." Miranda said coming up with Blaise Zabini and Celes' cousin on her dad's side Theo Nott.

"Hey Miranda, how was your holiday?" Celes asked hugging the girl.

"It was alright." She said softly.

"No hug for me Diggory?" Blaise asked spreading his stronger looking arms out a small pout on his face. Celes melted and stepped into his embrace and suddenly she was alone with him. She looked up into his face and then Roman stepped forward into the cone of Blaise and Celes.

"Celes I'm hungry. Let's leave the Slytherin boy alone. Come Miranda you can sit with us." Roman said and then Theo stepped forward.

"Actually we've already asked her to eat with us." He said looking at them.

Celes had gotten to know Theo pretty well when she would go visit Cedric for a few weeks over the holiday. He was there most of the time and the three had become a pretty good little unit of family. She would likely spend a lot of time with them this year. This summer she had spent all her time before Egypt with them.

"Fine, take her, but you'll pay for this later cousin." Celes said jokingly slugging him on the shoulder.

"Later in the library Cedric wants to show us something." Theo said with a wink and then Blaise came up and kissed Celes lightly on the cheek.

Celes blushed again deeply and when he was gone Roman said; "Harry is so much better!" then shook her head and walked into The Great Hall.

Celes sighed and followed her in. Her first targets? Lee and Fred of course. She strolled over to the two of them and sat down between them. "Hello boys." She said picking up a strawberry from the table.

"Celes, what do you want?" Fred asked. Living with the Weasleys had made her more like a sister to them.

"So I heard you were giving Roman a hard time about her clothing selection last night. Are we jealous she's getting attention boys?" she asked.

Lee began to squirm in his seat and Fred's ears turned red.

"No Celes!" they both said.

She smirked. "Look, just tired lightly remember she's more sensitive than you think." She said. "AND. DO. NOT. FIGHT. OVER. HER!" she said and got up going over to join Roman.

"What was that about?" Roman asked when she sat down.

"Nothing, had to ask Fred something about Bill." She said smoothly grabbing Romans plate and filling it. She grabbed her goblet after that and filled it with orange juice avoiding the pumpkin juice Roman hated anything pumpkin. Dumbledore had added Sweet Potato Pie to the Thanksgiving menu just for Roman and Celes had never eaten a piece of Pumpkin pie since.

"Are you sure?" Roman asked taking a drink of Orange juice.

"Yeah Ro, anyways aren't you excited for our new classes? Muggle studies!" she said picking up her time table.

"Yeah, I'm taking Arthrimancy. I'm so excited to apply it against the twins and Lee!" she said eating some of her food.

Celes took a drink of her milk and continued to exam her time table. "People taking Divination are going to have a right time making it to class. Its all the way in the North Tower." She said.

"Hey Celes, what's with this guy in the papers?" Roman asked picking up a discarded paper with the picture of Sirius Black on the front.

"Oh! He's the guy who killed like a ton of people with one curse. He escaped from Azkaban!" she said still eating away at her food, Ron had her hungry a lot of the time. She even had snacks in her bag.

"Azkaban?" Roman asked, Celes kept forgetting that she wasn't from the Wizarding World.

"It's like Alcatraz in San Francisco in America but for Wizards and Witches of the the most foul kind. And now I guess they think he's coming here cause they've posted Dementors all over the ground. They are so creepy when they are around. It's like all the happiness is gone." She shivered at the last remark.

"Sounds upsetting," Roman said softly still nibbling at her food.

"Well we'd better leave early cause we don't know where new classes are exactly." Celes said getting up and grabbing her bag and waited for Roman. They headed out of the Great Hall and then headed their separate ways for their first classes. Celes entered Muggle Studies excited to learn. Hermione rushed in after her and sat down in the desk next to her. She smiled at Hermione as the girl tucked something back into the shirt of her uniform. She then paid attention as Professor Burbage began the class. The next thing Celes knew class was over and she had three composition notebooks full of notes. This class was going to be a load. She packed up her bag and headed to Prof. McGonagall's class next. She found a seat next to Roman and smiled at her. Before she could say a word Harry and Ron burst in the classroom and everyone looked up at them fearfully. Celes gave Roman a questioning look and she just shook her head shrugging.

"Nice of you to join us." Prof. McGonagall said and then proceeded with the lesson. She turned into a cat and then back into a human and Celes got an idea. She'd have to tell Roman at lunch. Then class was interrupted by some of the kids telling Prof. McGonagall about Prof. Trelawney's prediction of Harry's death. Celes looked at Roman in shock but then Prof. McGonagall went on a rant. After that class they went to the Great Hall where Celes launched into her idea. She included Fred, George, and Lee in the conversation cause she knew they'd be essential to finding a place to practice.

"Ro, we should totally practice Animagus. I mean I know we have to register and all that but let's learn on our own." Celes said feeling rebellious.

"Yeah that sounds fun!" Roman said.

"Roman could turn into a butterfly!" Fred exclaimed and everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

"Celes you could turn into a cat, then you'd look like Athena." Roman suggested.

"Maybe yeah!" she said filling Romans plate. And they spent the rest of lunch talking about it.

The first week back to Hogwarts was challenging as usual but Roman was enjoying it. She felt more alive and happy with her friends around. She missed them dearly during the summer but it was just a small price to pay in order to stay.

While sitting quietly at her desk in Arithmancy waiting for the class to start she was reading over the book she found in first year about Animagus. She didn't want to burst Celes's bubble and tell her she had been practicing alone since first year, but she did want to surprise her that she could now change.

"What are you reading?" Someone asked beside her.

Roman looked up and saw that the class was filled with mostly Ravenclaws and the person who asked her was the same boy who had asked for the rolls at the first feast. "Uh, nothing interesting," She told him as she closed the book and put it away.

"I'm Kevin." He introduced. He had blue eyes and black hair.

"Roman," she answered.

"I was actually surprised to see you and Granger in this class."

"Yeah, it was something new, and I wanted to get away from the Slytherins."

He smiled and flashed a small dimple, "We have Herbology with them."

"Hufflepuff is with us during Herbology. I thank God." Roman tilted her head to the side and looked at him curiously. There was something about him that reminded her of Lee. She wasn't quite sure why but at the same time she didn't like it. When he had touched her briefly at the feast it was hard to get a proper reading on him. Everything was scrambled and she was picking up weird and confusing images. She could read his memories easily enough, but the vibe she got from him was something else. As if he had an alternative plan.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing, I was just thinking you reminded me of one of my friends."

"Really?" He paused as he thought a moment. "Don't you usually hang around Fred and George Weasley, Lee Jordan, and Celes Diggory?"

"Yes I do."

"Oh Merlin, I hope it isn't Fred and George Weasley."

Roman laughed, "I don't think you are devilish enough to remind me of them. I was thinking you kind of reminded me of Lee."

"Oh, I don't think I'm outspoken enough to remind you of him." He laughed.

Roman smiled, "I don't know. It's just a feeling."

He smiled, "Well, I hope we can become good friends then."

"I would like that." Roman was enjoying her first week back. It felt so right to be among people she trusted and love. Kevin had surprised her a couple of times and picked her up from her class to take her Arithmancy class. They had sat and talked for a while. There were quite a few days she had missed lunch because they had talked so much. The more she got to know Kevin the more she felt confused. There was something about him that she didn't really liked but at the same time she really liked him, he was so charming and easy to like.

Roman sat in the com room finishing up her essay in front of the fire when Lee sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her, "What are you doing, Butterfly?"

"Just finishing my last essay for Arithmancy."

"We missed you at lunch today." He told her.

"Sorry, I was talking to Kevin today. We got so deep into our Arithmancy that we lost track of time. Celes has chewed me out for it since this is the fifth time I missed lunch."

Lee laughed, "Well, we have been missing you. So when do we get to meet this mysterious Kevin and what house is he in?"

"Oh, no you don't." Roman told him as she removed his arms and turned to face him. "No."

"No, what? I just asked a question."

"You want to check him out and see if he scares easy, don't you? Matter of fact you want to scare him away."

"No I don't. I just want to see what he is like. If he is trustworthy and all that." he told her as he scratched at his chin.

"Really, Lee, I know you are lying."

"Okay, fine, I do want to scare him off, so does Fred and George. You have been spending too much time with him and we miss you. It is already bad enough we don't get to see you during the summer and now some boy is keeping your attention away from us." He complained.

Roman laughed, "So you guys are jealous. That is so sweet, but I'm not introducing you to him. Who knows, what you might do to him."

"Well, can we at least know what house he is in?"

"No, cause you will find a way to figure out who it is."

Lee gave her a hurt look as he pressed his hands to his heart, "You are wounding me, Ro. Right in the heart, it hurts. Why don't you trust us?"

"Because I know how you guys really are, and you are sneaky evil tormentors." She told him.

"Again, you have wounded me, I would never dream of tormenting any of your friends unless they hurt you and if you asked me to torment them."

"Yeah right, I know you Fred, George, and Celes are protective of me. I am grateful you want to make sure I am safe but I think I can judge people for myself. Besides, I'm not sure if I really…" she trailed off before she told him what she really thought of Kevin.

"You are not sure about what?" Lee asked.

"Nothing,"

"Oh, no you don't. You are going to finish that sentence."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

Lee laughed as he started to tickle her, "Tell me, or I shall torment you."

Roman squealed and tried to wiggle her way out of Lee's hold. "You can torment me or even kill me, but I will never tell!"

"Just remember, you brought this upon yourself." He tackled her to the ground and commenced to tickle her.

"Celes!" she screamed as she tried to get away from Lee. "Celes help!"

Celes shook her head as she walked over to them, "I have half a mind to leave him at his torture since you missed lunch today." She told her as she crossed her arms.

Roman gasped, "You would leave me to my tormentor?"

"If it means getting you to supper on time, yes."

"See, you heard her, I can torture you just as long as I can get you to supper on time." Lee told Roman.

"Traitors! I'm surrounded by traitors!"

Celes smiled as she pushed Lee off and sat on the other side of Roman, "Anyways, Fred and George has found us a place to practice." She whispered. "So after supper we should go check out the room and get some practice in."

Roman agreed as she rolled over on her stomach and pushed herself up on her knees. "I am going to load up on all kinds of food." She told them as she took down her braid and let it pool on the floor.

Lee rubbed a lock of it between his fingers, "Why don't you wear your hair down? It looks so nice when you do."

"Because I never know what type of experiment..." she trailed off and smiled at Celes.

Celes raised an eyebrow, "You never know what type of experiments... what?"

"Nothing, man, I'm hungry." Roman said as she stood up.

"You were going to say what types of experiments Fred and George will do on you, huh?"

"Have you been hanging out with Professor Trelawney? I think you may have a gift in divination."

"Oh, don't give me that crap; you know bloody well I do not take divination."

Roman laughed as they walked down to the Great Hall.

"I can't believe that woman is teaching. Don't get me wrong, she is nice and I would never want anything bad happen to her, but her predictions are so full of it. I mean come on, of course we all know Harry could still be in danger, she don't have to bring it up every chance she gets."

Roman patted Celes on the back, "Its okay, Cel, we all know." As they entered the Great Hall she stretched and yawned. She sat between Fred and George and smiled at them.

Fred wrapped an arm around her, "You are in so much trouble when we get you away from Celes." He whispered.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She smiled.

"Just you wait until I get you alone, you are going to suffer."

Roman laughed, "I missed you too."

"4 words for you, all flavored gummy worms."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh I would, and I will,"

"If you do, this means war."

"Just as long as I have your attention." He smiled.

Roman rolled her eyes, "Your brother is acting weird." She told George.

"Only because you make him act weird."

"Me? How do I make him act weird?"

"You just do."

Roman rolled her eyes again. "Both of you guys are just weird."

After dinner Celes, Lee, Fred, George, and Roman all walked to a the room Fred and George found for them to practice. "Let's get started." Celes announced as she took off her robe.

"I have a confession." Roman told her.

"What?"

"I have been practicing since first year."

"Really? Then you can show us how to get started."

"I have another confession."

Celes raised her eyebrow, "What?"

"I can turn to my animagus form."

"Really? Show us!" Fred and George told her excitedly.

Roman tuned red and looked down at her shoe. "I'm not ready to show you guys."

"Why not, we never seen anyone change before." Lee told her.

"Because it's stupid," she told them.

"Oh, come on, Ro." Celes told her. "We want to see."

She took a deep breath and sat on a desk. She closed her eyes allowed her body to contracted and mold into her animagus form. There was a collective gasps when she was done. "Wow, that's amazing!" Celes breathed as she reached her hand out and ran her fingers through Roman's white fur. "It's beautiful."

"She is a snow leopard." Lee said in awe.

Roman leaped off the desk and rubbed against Celes. She was as tall as Cele's knees. She purred loudly as laid on her side and allowed Celes to rub her side.

Celes giggled, "You really like this, aren't you?"

"That is really cool, Ro."

Roman turned back as she laughed when Celes tickled her stomach. "You are killing me, Celes."

Celes smiled, "That really was cool. I want to try now. How do we start?"

Roman sat up and smiled at everyone, "It's going to be hard work, but I think I can help. First we have to meditate you have to calm yourself and allow your inner animal to surface. I have been reading the book and this is what I basically got. It reminded me of one of the other books I read at home. You need to empty your mind and allow your sprite to calm. Trust me it's harder than what it sounds and it will take a while. But since, I'm here, I can probably sing a healing and calming chant to get you guys going." She smiled.

Celes, Lee, Fred and George all sat in a semi circle by the fireplace and began their training. It was hours later when they walked out. None of them had even changed one hair color. A couple of time Lee had to nudge George, whom fell asleep a couple of times, but Roman told them it was still a good first start and that they will be changing in no time.

Roman sat on one of the big chairs in the Common room and sighed. Fred and George sat next to her. She giggled as they started to squeeze her."You guys are so bad."

"Yeah, but you still like us." George told her.

"I was wondering why you turned into a snow leopard when there are other types of cats out there. I was really hoping you would turn into a butterfly." Fred told her.

Roman gave a nervous laugh, "I don't think a butterfly would be good."

"Why not? You have a birthmark of one on your back." Lee told her.

"That's right, isn't it?" Fred said. "You were supposed to be a butterfly."

"No, it's too cold to be a butterfly. I would freeze." She sighed and stared at the fire. "Do you know what the symbolism of a leopard or a snow leopard is to my culture?" she asked. When they shook their heads she looked around. Celes and gone to the toilet and would be back shortly. " Sensitivity to touch, stalking, approaching someone unseen, movement in the shadow worlds, communication with the plant kingdom, understanding one's shadow side, trusting one's inner self, agility, and strength."

"Well, that is you in a nutshell." Lee told her.

"I don't like it." she told him. "I don't like that the first thing I read when I looked it up was sensitivity to touch. I don't want to face my shadows either."

Fred tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him, "Roman, you are a strong person. Don't think of them as weaknesses. Think of them as an advantage. You being sensitive to touch is an advantage. Just by a touch you can know someone's weakness and strength. By facing your inner shadows you will know what they are and how to deal with them. Therefore you will become stronger."

Roman smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as she looked into the fire. "I guess you are right."

"I'm always right." He told her.

"Yeah, like how you were right about underestimating me and you trying to go through my trunk only to get jinx."

Lee and George laughed, "She got you there."

"Oh If you had bothered to pay attention, I do have a butterfly spot on my back." She told him smugly.

"Oh, let's just go to bed." he grumbled.

Roman laughed just as Celes walked in, "Come on Celes, the meditation tired Fred out so we might as well go to bed."

"It was George's snoring that tired me out."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." She laughed as she and Celes went up to bed.

The next day was any old day. When the bell rang for lunch she had hurried off to the library to grab a few books. She didn't want to let the others know just yet but she had a weird feeling she more than just an animagus. She had heard her father complaining that a few people had gotten into trouble for scaring a few Muggles by shape shifting to scare them, or that a few people had gotten stuck in between changes and other wizards had to help.

Roman walked up and down the aisles looking for the subject that would help her out. She reached up on her tip toes to grab a book but found she was too short. "You have got to be kidding me." She told herself. "The one book that I need is out of reach, of course, everything always seem out of reach." She grumbled as she stretched up again to try and reach it. The tips of her fingers could touch it but it was still out of reach. From behind her a hand reached up and took the book out of its place. Roman looked behind her and found a Slytherin boy standing behind her. She frowned as she looked at him. He was tall with dark hair and black eyes.

"Next time you should just use your wand." He told her.

Roman took the book from him as he walked away. There was something about his brooding look that reminded her of Snape. She smiled as she watched him find a deserted table and started reading.

"There you are Roman!" someone called out.

She turned to find Kevin walking with Lee towards her. "What are you doing?" she asked Lee.

"Well, he came by after you left class to pick you up for lunch but you weren't there, so I told him I knew where you would be." Kevin told her. He was smiling brightly as he looked up at Lee.

Roman frowned as she looked from Lee to Kevin back to Lee. "That was all?"

Lee smiled at her and then put his hands over his heart, "You are wounding me, Ro. Right in the heart." He winked down at Kevin.

"Roman, you shouldn't wound him." Kevin smiled.

"You can take your wound and shove it." she told him as she walked pass them. She felt so irritated with Lee, but he didn't do anything wrong.

"Hey, Roman," Kevin called out, "You should come eat lunch with me and my friends. It will be fun. Besides they have some questions on today's lesson."

"She can't, she has to eat with us. She has an eating disorder." Lee told Kevin.

"I do not!" she whirled around. She smiled at Kevin, "I will be more than willing to eat lunch with you and your friends. Lee will just have to tell Celes how he annoyed me so I decided to eat lunch with you."

Kevin smiled, "Lee isn't that bad. He is quite sweet."

"Yeah, I'm sweet." Lee told her.

Roman eyed Lee, "Oh, whatever, come on Kevin lets go."

"It was good meeting you, Lee."

"Same to you, Kevin, from Ravenclaw."

"Oh, he annoys me." Roman told Kevin.

Kevin laughed, "He is just being a boy. Besides, he seems nice enough."

"Yeah well, I know him and he knows exactly what he is doing to annoy me."

He wrapped an arm around Roman's shoulder and squeezed her gently, "It's because he knows you so well that he has to pick on you."

Roman laughed, "Yeah I know."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Are you and Lee dating?"

"What? No way, we are just friends."

"Oh, I see. What about you and Fred?"

Roman gave a giggle, "No, we are just all friends. I give them a hard time and they give me a hard time. We are just really close."

"I see."

"Why do you ask?" Roman asked. She was getting that same feeling again and it was annoying her a bit.

"No reason, I was just wondering." He gave her a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "Come on, let's get some lunch. My friends are going to work your brain."

Roman laughed, "I accept that challenge."

Celes scowled down at her roast beef sandwich and looked back over at Roman with the Ravenclaw boy that she, Lee, and the twins did not like or trust. She sighed and went back to her lunch when Harry sat down across from her. She smiled at him and then choked on what she was eating and loudly dislodged it. She found Harry next to her ligtly patting her back. She smiled at him feeling dumb.

"Thanks." She said softly.

"Sure, I was just going to come over and see how school is going for you?" he asked with a laugh.

"I'm good, besides choking right there." She said with a laugh.

"Heh, well you are alive." He said. He hadn't taken his hand off her back and Celes felt her back tingling where his hand was.

"How are you Harry?" she asked softly.

"I'm okay. You know that I haven't seen you since Diagon Ally." He said and Celes blushed.

"I wasn't expecting that." She said

"Well, it happened." He said and then stopped when Ron and Hermione came over.

"I, um, I have to go." Celes said standing suddenly and walking quickly out of the Great Hall. She stopped just outside the door and pressed her back against the wall breathing hard. How did he have that power over her. They had just kissed once as an experiment. Just to see what it was like. What was going on?

She looked up the stairs and her insides twisted again. Blaise was standing at the top of the stairs with a very dark looking boy. She took a deep breath and smiled bounding to the top of the stairs.

"Hey Tiny, looking good." He said touching her arm. She ignored her need to run away from him. She felt so embarrassed.

"Who's your friend Blaise?" she asked hoping she sounded cool.

"This is Dalton Gray he transferred from Durmstrag this year." He said.

"Hey." Dalton said waving slightly.

"Hi, Welcome to Hogwarts." She said starting to relax.

"So Tiny, what's up?" Blaise asked as he turned to her gave her his full attention.

"Good Day Blaise and Celes." Dalton said and took off towards what Celes assumed was his next class.

"Nothing Blaise." Celes said softly as she looked down at her feet.

"'I'm sure it's not nothing." He said lifting her chin with his finger.

"I'm just upset with Roman." She said shrugging. "and you know its not even that I'm mad at her. It's the tool that she hangs out with." She burst.

"Tool?" Blaise asked.

"Yeah that guy who kisses the ass of everyone he's around. He's using her. He's got to be. And I can't tell her all this cause she'll think I'm just saying it cause I'm upset she not spending time with me." She said feeling spent after she spewed her mind all over him.

"Geez, Tiny, sounds terrible. I'm sorry." He said putting his arm around her shoulders and steering her towards the dungeons. They had potions next anyways. Way to add to the stress of her day she would have to deal with an hour of her Uncle brooding about and pretending like she doesn't exists the way it has been since she had started second year. And this year it seemed worse and she didn't know why.

"And you know my Uncle has been a real jerk lately. I just feel so out of control, Harry's been sending me all these mixed signal…" she stopped talking and looking guiltily up at him.

"Potter? Really?" he asked sounding neutral

"Yeah that's not the point though." Celes said as they entered the classroom. Celes looked at her Uncle and gave him a small smile. And for the first time in a long time he gave her a small smile back and Celes' heart soared…for about a minute when Draco walked in still nursing his bad arm. She sighed heavily and he turned sneering but then his face softened.

"Oh, Cel, hey." He said shooing Crabb and Goyel off.

"Hi Draco." She said shortly. Things hadn't really been the same between the two of them since the Weasley's got custody of her.

"How uh…How have you been?" he asked and Celes gave him a curious stair.

"I'm okay." She said and grabbed Blaise's hand. Draco saw this and sneered at Blaise and turned away to his table.

"Class is starting Ms. Diggory and Mr. Zabini, take your seats." Snape said. Celes looked up at Blaise embarrassed and released his hand. She went over to where Roman sat and joining her.

"I've missed you this last week or so." She said softly pulling out her supplies to start the potion her uncle had written on the board.

"I've just been spending time with Kevin." She said as she started her potion.

"Can I meet him?" Celes asked.

"No, no you can't you'll just scare him away and I like him." Roman said.

"I will not." Celes said feeling a little hurt at her words. She looked up and Blaise gave her a half smile from the Slytherin side of the room. She smiled back and then went back to her potion.

"Lee already almost did." Roman snapped. "Just leave it for now, we can talk at dinner."

Celes nodded flushing with anger. The rest of the day she froze Roman out not that it was hard Roman was spending all her time with Kevin anyways.

It wasn't until dinner that night that Celes' feelings came to a head. She was sitting with her usual crowd including Roman when Kevin came over and started flirting with Roman. As Celes watched them she was so angry and then she saw it. Every couple of minutes Kevin would look at Lee with this hopeful expression on his face. And suddenly Celes understood.

"You right bloody tool." Celes said standing up and looking at Kevin.

He didn't get a chance to answer.

"What is your problem Celes?" Roman demanded.

"He's using you…" Celes was cut off.

"No he's not; this is why I didn't want you guys to meet him! But Lee just couldn't keep his big head out of it!" Roman said loudly.

"No Ro, he is…" Celes insisted.

"Just leave us alone, all of you!" she said grabbing Kevin's hand and walking away.

"Oh god." Celes said sitting down again.

"A tool?" Fred asked. "Like a hammer?"

"It's an American phrase." Celes sighed at her cousin. Now she had done it, Roman would probably never speak to her again.

"Where did you learn an American phrases?" George asked.

"A book, you might want to consider reading one sometime "She quipped.

Everyone chuckled at her joke that wasn't really a joke, and Celes felt badly.

The next morning Celes woke with a sour feeling in her gut. She groaned and got out of bed. Then she looked at the clock. She was late. She looked across the room where Roman slept. She was still there sleeping.

"Bloody Hell." She muttered going over to Roman. "Ro, it's time to get up, we're late." She said

Roman shot up. "Late? How, why? You never sleep late." Roman said looking groggy.

"I think I'm getting sick." Celes remarked noticing her throat was also scratchy.

"I'll walk you to the hospital wing." Roman said getting out of bed.

"B-but you're angry with me." Celes said confused.

"You're still my best friend." Roman remarked going to her trunk and pulled out her uniform. Celes went back to her own trunk and pulled out some cloths. She figured she should wear her school uniform in case she was turned away at the hospital wing. Although she already knew a great potion for sore throats but diagnosing herself was not a good plan. All the books she read about magical medicine told her not to ever diagnose herself in case she makes an error and administer the wrong Magical antidote and then end up with some kind of odd wonkey knot out of her.

"Ready to go?" Roman asked after a minute or so.

"Yes." Celes said softly and grabbed her bag. "Look about yesterday. I'm sorry."

"You know it's alright, I understand how you feel." Roman said softly. "It's how I felt when you had made up with Draco first year."

"I suppose that is how I feel." Celes said as they walked out of the Gryffindor Common Room. She hadn't realized that that is how it could feel. "Still there is something off about that boy."

"I don't get a good read on him, but he's nice." Roman said, Celes looked at the confused look on her friends face and gave a small smile.

"It's not like you can tell by what touching them? Please Roman you're a brilliant judge of character but you just never know." Celes said a small laugh making her throat hurt.

"Yeah I suppose." She said as they continued on. They walked in silence for a bit until they came upon the hospital wing.

"I'll be fine from here; you should get to class before they decide to take all our points away." Celes said.

"You'll be okay?" Roman asked.

"I'm in good hands with Madam Pomfrey." Celes said turning and going in the hospital wing. She came upon Draco sitting holding his bandaged arm. She scowled at him.

"Please Celes, don't just don't." he said holding up his good hand.

"Are you really still hurt?" she asked softly stepping forward.

"Madam Pomfrey has been working on healing it every day since it happened. But it's almost healed now."

"Thought you were faking." She said honestly.

"Yeah well, I wasn't. You don't look to hot." He pointed out.

"Thanks for that Draco, really." She said and continues on leaving Draco sitting there. She comes upon Madam Pomfrey and gives a small wave.

"First cold of the year dear. You don't have a fever and even magic doesn't have a cure for the common cold." She said after her examination of Celes.

"Oh, well I feel horrid!" Celes exclaimed.

"Well here have Severus make this for you dear. I don't have time and it will defiantly help your aches and headache." Madam Pomfrey said handing Celes a bit of parchment. Celes sighed at the thought of going to see her uncle.

She made her way back out of the hospital wing and noticed that Draco was now gone. She began the 10 minute journey to her uncle's office.

Celes didn't encounter anyone on her walk to her uncle's office and when she came to his door she knocked.

"Enter." Came her uncle's voice and she did so. He looked up at her and his eyes softened.

"Celes what are you doing here?" he asked. She held out the parchment.

"I have a cold; Madam Pomfrey said you could make this for me." She said with a small smile.

"Yes of course." He said sweeping over to his cauldron and beginning to gather the supplies. "So how is living with your family?" he asked.

"Its… odd." She replied and Severus turned and gave her a surprised look.

"It's just crowded, Not a bad crowded by any means, but different spent most of my first years living in solitude." She said.

"Well are you at least happy?" he asked. His back was to her. She looked at him for a few minutes.

"Well yeah, but you still chose it right?" she said a bit angrily.

"I chose it to protect you from the fate you would have had living with me or remaining at Malfoy Manor." Severus said turning with a silver goblet full of the potion. He handed it to her.

"Is that because of this?" She motioned to her arm warmer half way up her right arm.

"That and other things. Celes my child you are the closest thing I have ever had to normal. I love you dearly but you belong with the Weasley, Legally and by blood." He said softly. Celes felt tears fill her eyes as she sat down and took a sip of the potion. It was bitter and disgusting.

"Blech" she squelched.

"You must finish it; it will help with your headache." Severus said smiling a little.

"Things are a bit odd this year between Roman and I Uncle." Celes muttered taking another drink of the potion.

"Celes, dear, things will work out as they always do. Much to my distress you're close to her you'll work it out." Severus replied and Celes gave him a half smile. She finished off the potion and then stood.

"Thank you Uncle Sev." Celes said softly.

"you are more than welcome." He stood and came around the desk. And as if he didn't want to change his mind he pulled her into a hug. It had been two years since she had hugged her uncle. But she instantly hugged him back. Then before she started to cry she hurried out of the office and to her first class of the day. She was late anyways.

Roman sat alone in an abandoned classroom reading over all her homework. Everything felt like it was falling apart in front of her and there wasn't much she could do to put it back together or to stop it from breaking. With a heavy sigh she tossed her book aside and laid down. "Oh, bloody hell!" She moaned and kicked her feet. She tried to keep Kevin away from her friends cause she didn't want them to get hurt. She was unsure of Kevin and she wanted to keep them separated until she got a good firm opinion on what she thought about it. But then Kevin sat with them during dinner. She wanted to talk to Celes about it but then she just exploded on him. She frowned in her confusion as she thought about Kevin's reaction. He was calm but at the same time a little embarrassed. When she was away from Celes she noticed her quick reaction at snapping at her was the anger Celes had been feeling all day. The bell rang and Roman quickly gathered her things. She blended into the crowd and went to her Arithmancy. Through class Kevin had tried to engage her into a conversation but she would only nod or smile.

"Roman, are you okay? You seem so out of it today."

"Huh? Oh sorry, I just have a lot on my mind."

Kevin wrapped an arm around her, "If you want we can ditch the rest of our classes and just hang out. I'm always here if you need someone to talk to."

Tears gathered in her eyes. It was something Celes would tell her. She missed her more than she thought. Roman cleared her throat, "Uh, no, I have some things to work on today."

"Are you sure." He asked with worry. "Sweetie, I don't mind helping at all. You just need to ask."

"No, its fine. I just need to be alone today." She told him as the bell rang. She picked up her books and left. Roman had skipped lunch again. Instead of going inside or going back to her classes she had gone down to the lake. She had sat for a while but feeling restless she had found herself dancing. It was sometime after classes had all ended that she gathered her things and headed up to the castle. The closer she got the more she noticed more of the kids were smiling at her. One girl asked if Roman would teach her to dance. Roman frowned and shook her head. It was so weird to be the center of attention.

She quickened her pace and tried to stay out of the reach of people. She was feeling a little better now that her head was clear. She just had to start looking at things through a different angle and talk to Fred, George, and Lee about her trouble of not reading Kevin properly. She still wanted to keep them away from each other. Kevin was a good kid but he wouldn't mix well with Celes, Lee, Fred and George. They were protective and already territorial with her and Kevin still had an alternative plan she wasn't quite sure of. With a sigh she hefted her bag over shoulder. It was when she was a few feet away from the main entrance that she came to a complete halt. Her eyes shot up and she scanned through the crowd of kids. Off a few feet she saw him standing there watching her. Her father was dressed in black jeans, boots, a black turtleneck, a deep blue sweater, and his hair was braided down his back. He had a stern expression on his face as he continued to watch her. Everything in her wanted to run from the castle and hide, but at the same time she felt violated. How dare he interrupt her pace of being at school. Of course with all the crap she was going through it wasn't as peaceful but it was still _her_ school. She took in a deep breath and walked up to him. So not to alarm the kids around her she gave a smile.

"Roman," he greeted.

"Father, it is nice to see you here." She greeted.

"Since when do you take up lying?"

"Since the day you showed here and I didn't want to alarm the other kids."

He inclined his head, "Fair enough."

"Roman!" Someone called out. She turned to see Kevin.

"Hi, Kevin." She greeted.

"Hi, are you feeling any better?" He asked.

"Yes, thank you for asking." She smiled.

Kevin frowned as he watched her closely. Something was a little off. She smiled at him but at the same time it was really cold.

"Would you do me a favor?" She asked before Kevin could ask if there was anything wrong.

"Uh, sure."

"Find Lee and give him my bag. Tell him I will be late for supper."

"Uh, I, uh, sure." He told her. He looked up at the stern looking man and frowned. He looked just like Roman, but a male version of her. "Where should I tell him you will be?" He asked as he looked back to Roman.

"Just tell him, I went to talk to Professor Snape."

Kevin nodded and left.

"Well, shall I show you around?" Roman asked her father.

"That would be nice, but I am on a tight schedule. So, if you would just show me to a room, we can get this over and done with."

"Follow me."

During supper Kevin walked over to the Gryffindor table and smiled at Lee, "Hey Lee."

"Oh bloody hell!" Fred exclaimed, "Roman isn't here. Go back to your table."

"You are so rude." Kevin rolled his eyes. "And I know Roman, isn't here. She asked me to give her bag to Lee." He smiled at him.

Lee frowned down at Roman's bag. "Where is Roman?" He asked.

"She said that she will be with Professor Snape."

George nudged Lee under the table with is foot and shook his head as he nodded towards the head table.

Lee looked out the corner of his eye and saw Professor Snape already at the table. He smiled up at Kevin, "Why don't you join us for supper."

"What?" Fred hissed.

George elbowed him in the ribs and shook his head.

"Well, I, my friends and I were..."

"You don't have to worry; Celes will not be joining us this evening. She has a cold." George told him.

"No, I really should get back to my table." He told them. "Maybe next time."

After dinner Lee caught up with Kevin and stopped him in the corridor. "Kevin, please tell me the truth. Where is Roman?"

"I don't know. She told me she was going to be with Professor Snape."

"Professor Snape was at supper so obviously she was not going to be with him."

"True, but that is what she told me to tell you. Why are you so worried? She is a big girl. She knows how to take care of herself. Just as bright as Miss Granger, although she could do better if she were not always in trouble with the Weasley twins and you."

"Obviously you do not know her well enough or you would know it is for her own good." Lee said stiffly.

"I'm not trying to offend you; I'm just saying she would be a perfect student if not for you guys. Roman is a sweetheart, I like her dearly. Weather its good for her to get into trouble is up to you all. You know her more than I." Kevin smiled.

"Uh, thanks."

"May I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Do you like her?"

"Of course I like her."

"No I mean as in more than a friend. Would you date her? Cause she said she only considers you a friend, very close friends." Kevin told him.

Lee flinched a little. He wasn't sure if he liked being labeled as a friend or a close friend. He did like her but he was also confused. He was never attracted to any other girl. Well, not before Roman. He had never really looked at guys in a lover kind of way just Roman. He wanted to take care of her and be there for her. It had driven him crazy to see her with Kevin or with any guy for that matter. "Yes we are friends."

Kevin smiled as he stepped closer, "I would like to be your friend." He whispered. "Hopefully even more."

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about." He whispered. "You never have a girlfriend, you never look at any other girls, well except for Roman, but you are only friends. So, it must mean that you are like me."

Lee frowned, "Like you?"

Kevin leaned into him, "You are gay, Lee." He whispered into his ear.

Lee sucked in a sharp breath and moved away from him.

"It's okay. I won't tell anyone. I just hope you consider me as your partner." He told him. "If you are worried about Roman, we don't have to tell her. We don't have to tell anyone. Just think about it." With that said Kevin walked away.

It was nearly midnight when Roman's father left her in one of the rooms she had lead him to. Their fight had lasted longer than expected. Roman waited until she felt his presents leave Hogwarts all together before she curled into a ball and cried. She was bruised, bloody, and was in pain. She knew she had to go back to the common room to clean up but she was just too tired. She slipped in and out of consciousness for a few hours before she finally sat up. She slowly got to her feet and walked to the door. Before she left a slip of parchment caught her eye. She picked it up and hissed at it. It was the permission slip to Hogsmeade. Her father had signed it and left it there for her. She crumpled it in her hand and leaned against the door. She let her senses to flare out to feel if anyone was in the halls. She quietly slipped out and made her way to the common room. She let her hair cover her face before she gave the password to be let in so that the fat lady didn't question her too much. She went to her room and check in on Celes. She was thankful that she was fast asleep. She adjusted her covers and the dream catcher so she would rest easier. She went to her trunk and took out clean night clothes, and some other things she knew she would need. She wrapped everything in a cloth and slipped out her room. She climbed the stairs to the boy's room and slipped into the room were Fred, George, Lee and some of their roommates slept in. She checked in on each of them and then left. She quickly showered and cleaned as much of the blood off her body. She carefully dried herself off and dressed into short shorts and a tank top. She carefully and calmly applied her cream to her face and the swelling went down immediately. The bruises also started to go away. She applied more cream to her arms and legs. She looked into the mirror and winced. Some of the bruises refused to heal completely. She had a faint black eye and faint bruises up and down her arms. She collected her things and groaned. Her back was killing her. Before her father had left he had flogged her with a cane. She knew her worst injuries were on her back. To tired and soar she made her way back to her common room.

It was nearly 4 in the morning and Roman still hadn't fallen asleep. She was in too much pain to sleep, both physically and emotionally. If she was grateful about anything it was the fact that it was now Saturday morning. She muttered to herself and took a swig of sake from her jug.

"Roman, are you alright?" Celes called from the darkness of her bed.

Roman muttered something and took another swig of her sake.

Celes slipped out of her bed and walked over to the window seat where Roman sat. "Roman, are you okay?" She asked again. She slipped a hand on Roman's back and Roman hissed as she jerked away. "What's wrong?"

Roman said something in a different language.

"I can't understand what you are saying."

"Sorry, I seem to slip into different languages when I'm drunk."

"Ro, what are you drinking?"

"Voices in the Mist," she took another swig. "Its sake. Good stuff when you just want to drown your sorrows and can't sleep." Roman went off in another language and seemed to have gotten louder with each word.

"Shhhh! Come on, Ro, let's go to the Astronomy tower." She helped Roman up to her feet, when she wrapped her arm around her waist Roman hissed. "What's wrong?"

"My back is bruised."

"Okay, I will look at it when we get to the tower."

"I need my jar and jug." She said as she cradled her sake jug.

"Okay, hold your jug." They slowly made their way up to the tower. With a swish of Celes's wand the fire lit in the fireplace. Roman sat on a pallet of pillows and took a big swig of her sake. She started to sing an Asian song. "Take off your shirt, Ro."

Roman continued to sing as she took off her shirt.

Celes gasped, "Merlin's beard, what happened? Who did this to you?"

"Mr. Alan McTaggert." Roman told her. "He said he was giving me motivation for my training." She said in a mocking deep voice.

"Your father was here?"

"Yep, and he beat my ass like I stole something. Of course he didn't just walk out of here, he was limping too. I'm pretty sure he has a couple of black eyes, bloody lip, and a broken arm." She drank again.

"What did he do to your back?"

"Held me down with magic and whipped me with a cane."

"Oh, Roman," she whispered as she looked over Roman's back. She had blue-black lines across her back. Some were even cut open and dried blood was plastered on her back. "I'll have to heal the cuts."

Roman waved her hand and a big bowl of steaming water appeared next to her. "Clean it with this."

"I can use my wand to clean it."

"No, I need to feel the sting of it so it can fuel my anger for the bastard."

"Roman, I don't think that's a good idea."

She shrugged, "Whatever you say. You're the healer."

Celes took a deep calming breath and started on her job. In the middle of it she noticed that Roman was favoring her side. "Does your side hurt?" She asked.

"Hum?" Roman sat up, "Which side?"

"The side you have been favoring, is it hurt?"

"I don't know."

Celes frowned as she continued to heal Roman.

"Want to hear a story?" Roman asked.

"Uh, sure."

"Well, there was a king that needed to find a queen. He looked far and wide and then after traveling the vast oceans he finally found a princess to marry. However, her family didn't like him. He was too snobbish and very uptight. So they said if he wanted to marry their princess he would have to live in their kingdom. He agreed and married the princess. Well he began to loosen up and enjoy the life of family around him and a honest day's work. Well it came to past that a dark wizard came around and started to gather people for his dark purpose. Unfortunately the king fell under his persuasive words and joined the dark wizard. The princess sensed something dark and dangerous and begged her king to leave the group and to stay away. When the king refused she made a bargain with him. She told him if he left the group she would leave with him to his kingdom. The king finally realized the princess's fear and moved them to his kingdom. Soon the queen gave birth to a baby girl. Well the girl had some special powers that seemed to be powerful even as small as she was. Well the king wanted to train her and the queen argued and said she was just a little girl and should be treated as a little girl. Soon their happy home became upside down with turmoil and arguments. Well one day the little girl lost control and blacked out. When she came into consciousness the queen was dead. The king was so enraged with grief that he blamed his daughter for the queen's death and ignored her for the rest of her life."

Celes paused for a bit and then continued her work. "Is that what had happen with you?" She asked.

"Nope, my father murdered my mother and was too late to get a hold of me." Roman told her as she tilted the jug of sake. "Yep. He missed me and now he is trying to get me now except that I am now here. Stupid bastard."

"What is the cream for?"

"It covers all the bruises, well it heals them, but it only works if the person who applies it is calm. Obviously I'm not calm, and because I'm so pissed off, it's not healing the some of the bruises all the way."

"I can use magic to heal them."

"No, you are already sick, you don't need to exhaust yourself over me." After Celes applied the cream Roman put her shirt back on and lay down on her back with a sigh of relief. "I am so rude sometimes. Do you want some sake?"

"Um, maybe some other time."

Roman cradled the jug. "Are you still upset with me?"

"No... Maybe... A little." Celes sighed. "I just feel kind of left out. I know you can make friends with other people, but there is just something about him I don't like."

"He is hiding something, isn't he? I just wanted to protect you from him. Yes, he is somewhat a friend, but I wasn't comfortable enough to introduce you to him. I should have told you earlier. But he is like a little puzzle box I have to figure out its secret. I refuse to be defeated!" She declared somewhat loudly.

"I think, I know what he is hiding." Celes told Roman. "I think he is after Lee." When there was no answer she looked at Roman and saw she had fallen asleep. "Typical. Right when you try to tell a friend something they should know they fall asleep." Celes sighed and used her magic to examine the rest of Roman's body. The side she was favoring had a few cracked ribs. She thanked Merlin she didn't have any internal bleeding or a concussion. She did her best and healed the cracked ribs. When she was done she covered Roman with a blanket and lay beside her.

Roman had felt a cold creep into her body and take a hold of her. All of her happiness vanished and all she could feel was rage. Cold, pure rage towards the wrong done towards her. She wanted to lash out, to fight back. To hurt the one that has hurt her. She felt her emotions slip out of her control. Her senses screamed at her for control. She fought against the cold that tried to push her further. With a scream she woke herself up kicking and swinging.

"Calm down," someone told her. "It's okay. Celes had to get some ingredients for a potion."

Roman panted as the room came into focus. She looked around the room and sighed. She was in the astronomy tower. "How did I get here?" She whispered. A pounding in her head took the rhythm of her heart.

"Celes brought you up here early this morning. She said you were drinking and was becoming loud. She healed your wounds as much as she could." Fred told her.

She looked around the room and saw it was just him. She cleared her throat and lay back down. "What time is it?"

"It's nearly time for supper; do you think you can make it downstairs?"

"Shit," she groaned as she rolled over onto her stomach. She stood up and Fred had to hold her as she nearly fell over. "Thanks." She frowned and looked up at Fred, "It's you. Why are you so angry?" She asked.

"Sorry, next time, I'll try to keep my emotions under control." He told her as he looked away.

She pulled on his red hair and made him look at her, "Why are you angry?"

Fred cupped her face and let his thumb gently rub over her cheek, "He was here, wasn't he? Your father, I mean. Then you sent Kevin to lie for you, why?"

"It was business; I didn't want anyone getting involved or getting hurt."

"But it's okay for you to get hurt?" He hissed.

Roman shrugged her shoulders, "I am not a stranger to pain so it didn't matter."

"Stop protecting us and let us protect you. You need it more than you think."

"I am not weak, Fred."

"Neither am I."

"He is my father and him coming here was my business."

"What if he killed you? What if you had a concussion? We wouldn't have known cause you sent Kevin to lie."

"He wouldn't have killed me here, it's too risky and I didn't have a concussion so everything is fine. And I didn't send Kevin to you, I sent him to Lee. You are too much of a hot head. Why are you even here?"

Fred snorted, "I'm here, because Celes asked us to watch over you. Lee couldn't handle it so George had to take him downstairs. Don't you understand? You are too much a part of us. When you are hurt we all are hurt and you have put us in a bloody damn tight spot! You are so damn prideful you refuse to even seek help from Madam Pomfrey and poor Celes is already tired and sick."

"Shut up!" Roman yelled as she pushed him away. She held her head to stop the pounding. She already felt bad and she sure as hell didn't need a lecture from Fred. "You don't know anything! You don't think I know you are connected to me? You don't think I know you hurt when I hurt? You don't think I know Celes is sick and tired? You don't think I feel bad for having Celes watch over me all the time? I do and I sure as hell don't need you of all people to lecture me." Tears that have blinded her vision where spilling from her eyes. "Matter of fact, just leave."

"What?"

"Leave! I never asked you to be my friend and since you are hurt you can leave. I don't need you anymore."

"Roman, I didn't mean that."

"Then tell her what you meant," Celes hissed.

"Cel... We are just..."

"Fred, just leave. I can take care of her from here. You are just making a mess of everything."

"Fine!" Fred grabbed a book and left.

"Ro, sit down." Celes told her.

"No, I should..."

"Sit!"

Roman frowned and sat down.

"Drink this while, I look over you again."

"Celes, you don't..."

"Roman, why am I hearing you talk when you should be drinking?"

"Yes ma'am"

Celes looked over her back and then examined her ribs. When she was satisfied she nodded, "How is your head?" She asked when Roman finished drinking the potion.

"It's better." Roman whispered, "Celes, I'm so sorry..."

"Roman, don't listen to what Fred said. I am fine. I only have a little cold, it's no big deal. Yeah, I may be tired, but I'm always up early. You know that, besides its Saturday so I have plenty of time to sleep and recover. Fred is scared. They all are scared. We never thought your father would ever come here and do that to you. And right under Dumbledore's nose. We need to tell him..."

"No, we can't."

"Roman,"

"We made an unbreakable vow. He can come here if he cannot meet me after my training of the summer. If I tell him he will try to keep my father away and it will violate the vow. So we cannot tell him. Please, don't tell Dumbledore. I know I'm putting you between a rock and a hard place, but please, don't tell."

Celes sighed and then nodded, "Okay."

"Thank you, Cel." Roman sighed.

"How is your headache?"

"It's a slight thud but I can manage."

"Okay, good. No more drinking unless its butter beer," she scolded. "Next time we will find something else to drown your sorrows in, like ice cream or something. Now let's get you to a real bed. Celes helped Roman get back into bed and then waited for her to fall asleep again. When she had fallen asleep she tiptoed out of the room. She made her way down to the common room where Fred was complaining to Lee and George about his tiff with Roman and suddenly Celes was so angry with her cousin, whom she always treated more like a brother, and was down the stairs in a flash.

"Celes..." Lee started but she stopped him with a look.

"FREDRICK WEASLEY! JUST WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING? PICKING A FIGHT WITH ROMAN ABOUT SOMETHING YOU KNOW SHE DOESN'T CARE TO TALK ABOUT?" Celes yelled up into his face which suddenly was turning red.

"I'M WORRIED ABOUT HER..." he said but didn't get to finish because Celes advanced on him.

"I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE WORRIED I'M WORRIED! BUT WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YELLING AT HER WOULD ACCOMPLISH. LEAVE HER ALONE! I MEAN IT FRED I CAN DO THINGS TO YOU, YOU COULDN'T DREAM UP. I KNOW THINGS ABOUT MAGIC YOU HAVEN'T EVEN STUDIED YET. I WILL DO WHAT I HAVE TO NEXT TIME YOU MAKE IT WORSE. SHE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT NOT YOUR CRITICISM." Celes finished breathing hard. George and Lee were looking at her as if she had just casted a terrible curse on Fred, and Fred looked pale and only slightly upset.

"I'm... sorry." he whispered.

Celes broke down and let herself cry. "Don't apologize to me." she said and Fred pulled her into a hug. "I'm just worried for her." she continued to cry while Fred held her awkwardly. She pulled away.

"When she wakes up, tell us?" Fred asked and Lee and George nodded.

"Of course." she said and went back up to their room where Roman still slept.

Roman came awake with a slight jolt. She looked around and found herself in her bed with Celes sleeping next to her. She quietly slipped out of her bed and went to the toilet to relieve herself. When she was done she washed her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She sighed when she saw the yellowing bruise around her eye and cheekbone. Her stomach growled at her angrily. She left the restroom and walked down to the com room. She paused when she saw Lee sitting in front of the fire alone on the couch. She quietly turned but Lee had already spotted her.

"Roman, come here." He told her quietly.

Roman paused and then walked over to him. She sat on the other side of the couch away from him. She didn't look at him but looked down at her hands. She felt a void around Lee. It was like something was blocking his emotions and his presents from her. She frowned as she gave a side glance at him.

Lee sighed as he pulled her towards him. He held her close to his side and rested his head on top of hers, "You know we still love you right? We are just a little shocked. So please don't distance yourself from us."

Tears filled her eyes, "I am ashamed." She whispered. "I am ashamed that you all had to know, that Celes had to help me even though she is sick, that I still have bruises marked on my body."

"So you are going to lose your fighting sprite because someone bigger than you came and beat you? That sounds a little cowardly if you ask me."

"I am not cowardly." She told him.

"Then why are you distancing yourself from us?"

"I'm not…"

"Yes you are. You have been doing it since the beginning of the year. It just got worse when you started hanging with Kevin and now this."

"I have not been distancing myself." She growled as she tried to push away from Lee.

Lee pulled her onto his lap so that her back was to his chest and held her, "You have, you just don't know it, and we don't know why. Look, Roman, I know I can't tell you what to do but I think its best you keep your friendship with Kevin a friendship that stays in the classroom."

"Good thing I don't care what you think." She hissed.

Lee wanted to shake her. "Will you let me finish? He is nice, I get it, but what do you really know about him?"

"I don't know! He confuses me; I can't get an accurate reading on him." She finally confessed. "He is hiding something from me and I don't know what it is and its driving me crazy."

"Maybe, it's not for you to find out or maybe you are too close to see the problem, maybe you need to step back to see the big picture."

She thought about it as she looked into the fire, "I think you may be right." She told him. "I have been so worried about protecting everyone around me that I have failed to see everything."

Lee lifted up her shirt and examined the yellowing bruises, "Celes said that she couldn't get all the bruises to disappear. She, Fred, and George, think it's because she is sick and she is tired."

"What do you think?"

He examined the bruises, "I think it's a little of that and a little of something else."

"What is the something else?"

"I think, maybe, it's deeper. Maybe they are bruises on your emotions and they just need a little time to heal."

"I think you are close."

"What do you think they are?" he asked her.

Roman was silent for a while. She felt Lee brushed his lips across one bruise on her back. Something in her stirred and she didn't know what it was. It felt so strange, but yet so pleasing she didn't want him to stop. "I think maybe, they are a sign of my weakness. My mother and father use to argue and fight all the time. When they were done I had to heal my mother. There was something I never understood and it was her forgiveness and love she held for my father." She paused again as Lee's mouth traveled higher and he kissed a bruise. "I have always had a hard time forgiving my father. I always had bruises that would last longer than the rest."

"So you think you need to forgive your father in order for the bruises to go away?"

"I think so."

"Do you want to forgive your father?"

Roman bit her lower lip as Lee's mouth crossed her back to another bruise. She wanted his tongue to trace it and his hands to slide higher to her… Roman's eyes snapped open as she sat stiffly on his lap. "Uh, Lee, may I get down?"

"Why?"

"I don't feel comfortable." She told him.

Lee let her go and she slipped off his lap, "You didn't answer my question." He told her.

"Uh," She cleared her throat, "I don't know." She told him.

He nodded as he looked at the fire, "I think maybe it's the same thing as your emotions being bruised. You either forgive him or let him rule over your emotions. Do you really want to give him that power?"

"No," she told him as she brought her knees to her chest. "No, I don't want him to rule my emotions, but it's so hard to forgive him."

"My father says, forgiveness is not for them, it's for you."

Roman leaned against his arm, "I guess it will take me time to do so."

Lee wrapped an arm around her and held her, "Yeah, it will, but you are strong, and you will do it."

Fred and George came down the stairs and paused when they saw Roman. "Roman," George breathed as he sat on the couch and pulled her onto his lap. He held her closed in a tight hug. "Roman, why didn't you tell us?" he whispered as looked down in her face.

She looked away from him and looked into the fire. "It was not your guys fight to deal with."

"Ro," he whispered again as he turned her chin to him, "You are more than a friend to us. We are all worried about you. You scared the bloody hell out of us all. I know you want to be strong but it's okay to have us protect you too, right?"

"I understand," she told him, "But this was something that had to be done."

"A father should never do what yours did to you." Fred told her.

Roman glared up at him, "Well we all can't have loving fathers, now can we?" she hissed. "Besides, don't you think I already know that?"

"You aren't being fair, Ro. I'm trying to apologize." He told her.

"Some apology that is."

"Look, I'm sorry," he told her as he knelt on the floor next to her, "I was scared, worried, and angry that this had happened to you. I went about it the wrong way."

Roman felt her tears gather in her eyes. "I don't want this," she told them. "I don't want your kindness right now. I can't handle it." her voice cracked with emotions she was trying to hold in. "I rather have you anger." She pulled away from George and stood to her feet.

Celes slipped a hand onto Roman's arm. "It's okay, Ro, we are here to help you through this. You don't have to deal with this alone anymore."

Roman snatched her hand away from her and hissed, "I don't want it!" she growled. Her tears slid down her cheeks. "Let's just pretend none of this ever happened."

"But it did, Ro." Celes held tight to Roman's hand. "It did and we are here for you."

"So, it happened. Let me have my anger. I deserve to have at least that! I am a horrible friend and…"

Fred pulled her into a hug and held her, "No you aren't. You are the best thing to happen to us."

Roman fought against Fred's hold but then gave into her tears. "He hates me!" she cried. "He hates me!"

Celes covered her mouth and fell to her knees as Roman's emotions swept through her. It ripped her heart out to see and feel her friend's sorrow and pain. She wrapped her arms around Roman and cried herself. Soon George was in the huddle with them. Lee stood to his feet as he paced the floor. He had felt it too. But he wasn't going to cry from Roman, he wanted to kill for her. His protective instincts started to rise along with his anger just like when he was in the room earlier.

"I'll be back, I'm going to the kitchen to get some food, for us all." He told them.

Fred nodded as he continued to hold Roman.

Lee left the com room and walked down the stairs to get to the kitchens. The whole time he was muttering to himself. He nearly ran over Kevin in one of the halls.

"Hey, in a rush are you?" he teased.

Lee took a while before he looked around and noticed he was close to the kitchen. He looked down at Kevin, "Uh, yeah, Celes and Roman didn't get much to eat so I was going to the kitchen to get some food."

"You do a lot for Roman, don't you?" he smiled.

Lee frowned as he looked at Kevin and then it hit him. Kevin was the last to see Roman, so he should have seen what her father looked like. He looked around and then pulled Kevin to a secluded hall.

"Is there something you need, Lee?" Kevin asked.

"Who was with Roman yesterday?"

"I already told you what she told me to tell…"

"I don't want to know what she _told_ you to tell me, I want to know what _you_ saw. Who was with her and what did he look like."

"Why, is something wrong?"

"No, but I need to know."

"Then why don't you ask her?"

"Because she won't tell me, even if I were to ask." Lee snapped.

"Then it is none of your business. Why are you so concerned with her and what guy she was with? She only sees you as a friend, nothing more and nothing less. Just leave her alone."

"It is not that easy, and you don't know her well enough to tell me that. I just want to know what he looks like. I know he is not a student here."

Kevin sighed as he placed a hand on Lee's arm, "Lee, just leave her alone, she will open up to you when she is ready. Besides, you are acting as if she is your girlfriend that is hiding a secret. She isn't your girlfriend. She said so herself, and when I asked her if there was maybe a chance that you two would ever be together, she said no. So obviously, she only sees you as a friend."

Lee flinched as if he was just smacked in the face. Maybe his feelings for her were only one sided after all. Maybe, she really did see him as a friend. She never indicated she liked anyone. She flirted with Kevin but she only brushed it off like it was nothing. She wasn't really interested in him; if she was she would have at least told Celes and as far as he knew Celes didn't like him and Roman didn't tell her that she was interested in Kevin. But Roman never seemed to be interested in anyone. She was always with Celes, Fred, George, or him. They always consumed her attention. So when Kevin came into the picture they all had gotten jealous, even George.

He did try to seduce her though. He will admit it, he wanted to take her pain away and he wanted to kiss every bruise away. But it only made her uncomfortable and he had to let her go. But then again, he probably hurt her without knowing and she didn't want him to know. She did cuddle close to him and allow him to hold her. Of course she allowed Fred and George to do the same. He didn't like competing for her attention. It drove him crazy. But when he did have her attention it was nice. It felt like it was only him and her in the room. But did he really have her attention?

He had always joked that Angelina Johnson wouldn't date him, but he was never interested in anyone. Roman sure as hell wasn't showing any signs of being interested in him. What was he really waiting for? He looked at Kevin. He was a cute; blue eyes, black hair, and nice smile with a dimple that seemed to peek out every time he smiled; but Roman's smile always seemed to shine bright, her laughter filled the room and made everyone smile. Lee shook his yeah.

"Okay."

"Okay, what?" Kevin asked.

"Okay, I'll date you."

Kevin's eye grew big, "Really?"

"I have a few rules, though."

"Okay, whatever it takes."

"Roman is not to know about this until _I_ tell her. No PDA, and you will not sit at our table nor will I sit at your table unless invited, and that is only after Roman knows."

"Okay, when are you going to tell her?"

"I cannot do that right now, she is going through something. So when the right time comes, I will let her know."

Kevin smiled, "Okay, I can agree with that."

"I will meet you two hours after supper everyday in an abandon class room, is that okay."

Kevin thought about it. "That sounds okay. It gives me plenty of time to finish my homework and finish whatever tasks I need to do."

"Okay, tomorrow I will give you directions to a room and you will meet me there two hours after supper."

"Okay." Kevin gave a little squeal. He gave a quick look around and then pecked him on the cheek. "See you tomorrow." Before he could run off Lee grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him back with a devilish smile.

"Before you leave, I need one thing."

"What?"

"What did the man look like?"

Kevin frowned and then sighed, "Fine, he looked just like Roman, but a male version of her. He was about 6 foot, long black hair braided down his back. He wore all black; black jeans, black turtleneck, and a blue sweater, but his eyes were a dark brown and Roman's are a honey golden brown, right?"

Lee nodded, "Yes, they are."

"Do you know if that was her father or brother?"

"As far as I know, Roman is an only child." He shrugged. "Thanks, Kevin."

"You are welcome." He said cheerfully and then skipped away.

A few days had passed since Roman's incident. Everything was finally getting back to normal. Roman wasn't hanging around Kevin as much and she was nearly glued to Celes like always. When other students or teachers asked about her yellowing bruising she had told them it was an experiment gone wrong and her bruises would be gone in a few days. Professor McGonagall had eyed her suspiciously and then scolded her for experimenting on her own. The toughest person to convince was Kevin, with one look at her he started fretting over her and asking question. But after telling him that the man he saw her with wasn't the cause of her bruises repeatedly, he finally bought into it. It was exhausting to sit through Arithmancy with Kevin asking her so many questions about her discoloration. When the day was over Roman had fallen asleep without doing her homework. Lucky for her she had most of her homework done so it was no problem to get caught up.

Fred sat in the Com room glaring at Roman and Lee. Roman was giggling as Lee whispered in her ear. They had been like that for a couple of days. The way she was giving her attention to Lee was driving him crazy. He was so annoyed he knew Roman could feel his annoyance. A couple of times she had looked over to him with concern but he had pretended he was paying attention to what George was doing.

"Fred? Fred, are you listening to me?" George asked.

"Huh? No, sorry."

"Fred," He sighed, "If you are so annoyed, why don't you just go over there and get her attention."

"No, I don't want to butt in."

"Well, you are annoying me with your annoyance and you aren't even listening to me."

"She is a tease and she knows she is. Look at how she is clinging all over him."

"Fred, she is thirteen years old, I doubt she knows what she is doing."

"She will be fourteen in a couple of months." Fred defended. "Why is she so oblivious on his feelings? Surely she knows Lee likes her."

"I don't think so. She considers us close friends. Besides, she probably does feel it but doesn't recognize it. Give her a little time."

"I still don't like the way she has been spending a lot of time with Lee, why can't she spend more time with us, matter of fact we are the ones that found out about her in her first year. We just let Lee in on it."

George smiled, "Well she is like a little sister we want to spoil, just like Ginny."

"I don't want her to like me like a sister, I want to be more than friends." Fred confessed.

"I know."

"How do you know?"

"Fred, I'm your twin, I know just about everything you think. You like her just like Lee does."

"Lee says she thinks he is gay."

"He isn't gay. No one has caught his eye except for probably Angelina Johnson, but he was only joking around with her."

"Did he tell you he is dating Kevin?" Fred whispered to his twin.

"And he is an idiot for doing so. He should just tell Roman she was wrong. She is human after all and she is young so she is bound to make mistakes."

"That is true,"

George set his quill down and leaned over to his twin, "Look, here is my advice to you, get her attention and make sure you keep her attention."

Fred looked over to Roman and nodded, "How do I do that?"

"We have developed plenty of jokes and pranks and you can't think of a way to get a girl to turn her attention to you? I think you may need Celes to take a look at you. You must be getting a fever."

"You want me to give her a love potion?"

"And like Lee you are an idiot. Love potions won't work, use your brain and think of another way."

"If I'm going to get her attention I'll have to get rid of Lee." Fred mumbled.

Roman giggled as Lee showed her how to animate her drawing. She knew it could be done but she wasn't sure how, so Lee was teaching her.

"And that is how it's done." He told her.

"Make a drawing of a dragon this time, a baby one that is hatching."

Lee laughed, "You are just as bad as Hagrid. You know, he wants a pet dragon too."

"So do I. I think it would be so cool. And they are so cute when they are small."

"Yeah, until they get big and their fangs grow sharper," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh, whatever, not mine. Mine will be cute cause I would train it properly. If I can't have a dragon, I want a pack of wolves."

"And to that I say you are as wild as always. I bet you even want a pack of kids." He teased.

Roman laughed, "I was an only child, so of course I want a big family."

"Well, I hope you have daughters just as bad and mischievous like you." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"That's mean! What about you? Do you want a big family?"

"I never really thought about it."

"I think you would make a great father."

He smiled, "And I think you would make a great mother. You are active and like to interact with others, and we all know how protective you are.

Roman smiled at him, "You think so?"

"Yeah." Lee looked at the time. "I have to go, I'll be right back."

She frowned as she looked up at him, "Where are you going? You always leave around this time."

"Professor Snape is tutoring me for my OWLS."

"Ah, I see. Can't you miss one session?" she asked.

Lee laughed, "Yeah, right, Professor Snape would probably poison me or put me into a deep sleep and beat me if I ever missed a session.

Roman laughed, "That is true. But I must admit I'm surprised that you or the twins have time to goof around with the OWLS exams coming. Most of the kids here are on the verge of cracking."

"Well that is what the tutoring sessions are for. So I can goof around later."

"Well, hurry up and get it done with, so you can come back and you can show me my dragon hatching."

"A little bossy, are we?" he placed a kiss on her head and then left.

Roman picked up all the sketches Lee done and walked over to Fred and George, "Look, Lee was teaching me how to animate sketches."

George looked over the sketches, "These are good."

"Where did Lee go?" Fred asked.

"He went to his tutoring session with Professor Snape. Are these your ingredients for the Canary creams?"

"He left already? Can you go catch up with him and give him back his notebook," Fred told her. "I was copying down notes I missed. He is going to need them."

"Sure," Roman took the notebook and took off running.

George frowned at Fred, "When did he start taking tutoring lessons from Professor Snape?"

Fred shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, but I know he is going to need his notes. Professor Snape is murderous when it comes to potions."

Roman walked through the halls flipping through Lee's notebook. He took pretty good notes, she didn't understand why he needed the tutoring lessons, but then again it was Snape, and he did favor Slytherin over the others. So maybe a little ass kissing couldn't hurt. As she got closer to Snape's office she noticed Lee's presence was there. She paused as she flared out her senses and found Lee in one of the classes a floor above her. She turned around and went up to the next floor. The closer she got to the room the weirder she felt. It was a mixture of pleasure, excitement, and... She stopped about a foot away from the door. "Lust," she whispered. She backed away from the door and shook her head. The emotion was so strong it was pulling her in. She went around the corner just as the door opened. She peeked around the corner and saw Kevin walk out with Lee. Kevin wrapped his arms around Lee's neck and kissed his neck. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

"See you tomorrow." Lee watched as Kevin walked away. When he turned he found Roman standing in front of him, with tears in her eyes. Lee went ridged. "Roman, wh-what's wrong? Why are you here?" He asked trying to be nonchalant about what happened, even though he felt like a cheating husband caught by his wife.

Roman gave a cold laugh as she whipped at her eyes, "Well, Fred thought you might need your potions notes you let him barrow for your tutoring. So he asked me to come and give them to you, but when I went down to Snape's office I didn't feel your presence, so I sought out your presence and it led me here; to your love nest with Kevin."

"Ro, it's not what it seems."

"Which part, Lee? The part where you lied or the part where you went behind my back and betrayed me?"

"Ro,"

"No, wait, it's the part where you decided that Kevin should no longer be my friend and in doing so you decided to date him."

"Roman, it's not that."

"You are right, because I knew you were gay. Thank you for reminding me."

Lee glared at her, "Then why in the bloody hell are you upset?"

"Because you are mine!" She yelled.

Lee was taken aback, "I'm... what?"

Roman turned red, "You are my friend and Kevin can't have you. He can't have any of you."

Lee glared at her, "I am a person, not one of your possessions you keep hidden in your trunk!"

"Don't be so sure, Lee. I can shrink you down, if I have to and put you in my trunk."

"You are so mental!"

"At least I'm not backstabbing coward!"

Lee grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him, "I did not backstab you, nor am I a coward."

"Then why have you been sneaking around to meet Kevin?"

"I was not sneaking."

"You lire! Let go of me! I will never believe what you say." Roman did the one thing she knew would piss him off. "You are like my father; you are the Prince of lies!"

Lee pushed her away and glared at her, "Well, at least you won't have to worry about me beating you. You already have your father for that."

Roman flinched. His word had struck home like he wanted them. "Well, it seems I'm a masochist, cause I am not letting you go, nor am I letting go of my father." She grabbed a hold of Lee's wrists and growled at him, "I don't care what you say, you are mine, and everyone is going to know you are mine."

Lee hissed as he pulled out of her hands. There was a burning and then a tingling sensation that ran up and down his arms. When he looked at his wrists he saw an intricate design of vines and butterflies. "Take them off." He growled at her. "I don't want them on me."

"I'm mental and I can't make other friends, so I might as well keep the ones I have close." With that said she ran off towards the common room. When she got there she ran up to her dorm and slammed the door. A few minutes later she heard a door slam on the boy's side.

Celes returned from studying in the library with Blaise and Miranda to find Fred and George standing at the bottom of the stair to the dorms. They were talking. "Hey bros, what's going on?" she asked.

"We think Lee and Roman had a fight." George said.

"A fight?" she asked looking up towards the girls dorm crossing her arms.

"Yeah, I think maybe she found out about Kevin." Fred said.

Celes eyes widened, she had known that he was into Lee for weeks, but then why would they be fighting about it. "Why would that lead to fight with them?" she asked trying to put it all together.

"Don't you know?" George asked.

"Lee and Kevin were…you know…" Fred said

"Dating." George finished.

Celes' mouth dropped open and she left them there and marched to Lee's dorm first opening the door not bothering to knock. "You're gay?" she asked the half-dressed Lee.

"What? No… yes… I don't know Cel." He sighed as he sat down on his bed.

"Lee what happened?" she asked sitting down next to him, he told her his side and showed her his arms where Roman had marked her and Celes had to physically get up and walk away across the room feeling cold.

"I didn't know she had the magic to do that." Celes whispered. "I have to go talk to her. And you need to work out your feelings Lee Jordan!"

He looked up at her in shock and then said. "Celes, Kevin said Roman had no feelings for me beyond friendship, why would she do this?"

"She obviously felt betrayed." Celes said shortly

"Yes but to do this…" Lee said looking down at his arms.

Celes just didn't know what to say so she shrugged and left his dorm and went into her own to find Roman curled up on her bed. She sat down at the end of it and pulled the ribbon that covered her faded Dark Mark. "Look at this Mark, I have it not cause I wanted it or because I believe in anything that man stands for it, but because I was given it with no choice. I saw Lee's markings." She said, the thing was she wasn't really upset with Roman honestly she was just worried that Roman was traveling down a bad road.

"I was angry with him." She said and then added "besides, I don't know how I added the mark nor do I know how to remove it." and Celes sighed.

"Ro, you were the one who insisted you had no feelings for him besides those of friendship. You are the one who said now you've marked him for your own; like he's a possession not a person. That's how Voldemort does things." She said making Roman flinch. Celes' eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry that is incredibly harsh. I'm sorry that you're hurting but Kevin was a jerk and I knew he like Lee since that day I burst out at him. But for Lee to go behind your back must have felt like betrayal when I feel that he was just trying to protect you."

"Protect me? From what the lies he was telling me?" she snapped getting up and pacing the room.

"Oh Roman, he may of thought he was protecting you but really he was hurting you." Celes said as if just realizing this herself. "Come here." She said switching to a tone that Molly used often when comforting her or one of her cousins.

Roman looked at her for a few minutes and then went into her arms crying softly. Celes knew this was only one more thing to add to her bad time lately. She held Roman for a bit and then the two broke apart and Roman asked to be left alone and Celes reluctantly obliged.

She didn't say anything to the twins when she came back down to the Common room and noticed that Lee huddled in a corner staring out a window. She knew he felt bad. She left the Common room in search of… She didn't know what. She wandered the corridors for a bit only half paying attention to where she was drifting. Then she came upon the steps to the Astronomy tower and climbed up. When she reached the top she found her older brother there sitting alone.

"Cedric?" she asked, she hadn't really seen him very much in this year.

"Celes? Oh hey there." He said standing and giving her a hug.

"Alright?" she asked him with a weak smile.

"Yeah, you?" he asked in return.

"I'm…" Celes began but couldn't bring herself to say she was fine, because she really wasn't. "Terrible." She said with a large sigh. Cedric led her to sit down and looked at her with caring eyes. "Well you see Roman, my best friend, she's been going through a hard time lately and then to top it all off her closest friend pretty much betrayed her… not me Lee Jordan. He's in your year I think. Anyways so I've been juggling that and boys… where did boys come from I've never thought of them the way I do now. I don't know how to act. Its not as if I have a mother to sit there and explain it all, and yes I have Aunt Molly but I'm just not sure she's ready to tackle my problems. She's my guardian not my mum." Celes said in a rush to her brother.

"Celes, your life is not as difficult as you may think. This pain and confusion will pass I promise. I'll be there for you every step of the way. I am sorry for your friend Roman but you need to let her know that you are there for her and that there will be a day when she can be happy again just like you." He said nudging her shoulder. And for the first time in what seemed like ages Celes smiled; grinned in fact right up at her older brother. He had been her older brother for her whole life but when she came to Hogwarts he really became that for her. Last year he had spent time with her when she and Roman weren't talking again because of a fight now she couldn't remember for the life of her was about.

"So why are you hiding up here?" she asked nudging his shoulder.

"Hiding from girls, they follow me about lately." He said.

"Because of Quidditch?" she asked.

"That and they fancy me." He said giving a devilish smile.

Celes giggled. "I can't see why, you're not all that to look at." She said.

"Oy, I'm not that bad!" he exclaimed.

"Vain much?" she giggled at him.

"Oh please!" he said knocking into her.

She pushed back and soon the two were on the floor of the Astronomy tower wrestling about. They didn't hear when someone else came in.

"What's this?" came a small voice, it sounded angry. Cedric and Celes looked up to see Cho Chang.

Celes pulled away from her brother and sat up. "Hullo I'm Celes Diggory, his little sister." She said with a smile.

"Hello." Cho said looking at Cedric as if he were supposed to confirm this.

"What are you doing here Cho?" he asked standing and helping Celes up.

"Um, I just wanted to…" she trailed off and looked around.

"Go Ced, I'm good here now." Celes said he turned gave her a hug.

"Anytime you need me; baby sister; I'm here." He whispered and was gone with Cho in a flash.

Celes made her way back to Gryffindor tower feeling a little better. When she returned to the dorm Roman was already sleeping. She changed into her pjs and then began to crawl into her bed when Roman began to moan in her sleep. So she went over to her bed and crawled in with her. Roman calmed when she did this and she fell asleep shortly thereafter, thoughts of her brother in her mind. The next morning Celes awoke bright and early as usual. She got out of bed and nudged Roman to get up and then made her way to the bathroom to get ready herself. Then she was off to the Common room. Lee was waiting at the bottom of the stair case to try to talk to Roman but Celes shook her head fiercely and he left on his way with no complaint. Celes waited for Roman at the bottom of the stairs wanting to give her space. When Roman joined her the two walked to breakfast in silence. They also ate in silence. When Kevin walked in both Lee and Roman got up to leave and then Lee sat back down because Celes shot him a look. Roman left the Great Hall without a word and Kevin came over.

"Hey Lee." He said coyly and Lee tried with all his might to ignore him. Celes stood up and walked over to the boy.

"Look you, don't come around us anymore. You've caused enough pain here." She said and he gave her the wickedest smile she had ever seen.

"No, I think I'll stay around a bit." He said and before Celes could respond to him Blaise was between them.

"The girl asked you to go, so I suggest you go." He snapped trying to make himself look bigger. Fred, George, Ron, and Harry all joined in. Lee sat at the table blushing deeply. Kevin backed off and left. Blaise turned and grinned at Celes then leaned over right there and kissed her cheek. Then he was off and Celes stood there shocked.

When she turned she saw that the Weasley boys were snickering and Harry looked… upset? She sighed before she thought too much of it and went to grab her bag. And when she looked up across the Great Hall at Ravenclaw table her heart stopped. Kevin was sitting with Miranda, and they were flirting. Before she knew what she was doing she was headed to the table. "Randa," she said when she reached the table. "Can I talk to you over here?" she asked and then looked pointedly at Kevin. "Alone."

Miranda nodded looking slightly confused she got up and joined Celes.

"You know that boy?" she asked.

"Well, yes Celes, he's in my house. He's always so nice." Miranda said almost dreamily.

"Uh, Miranda he is bad news." Celes said urgently as the warning bell had rung.

"Oh Celes… I'm going to be late talk later?" she asked hurriedly.

"Um, the library? At lunch?" she asked Miranda nodded and was off Kevin smiled wickedly as he walked past her.

She scowled at him and then left the Great Hall herself already late for her first lesson of the day. She spent most of her first lesson zoned out. Roman didn't say much and Celes liked that so she could think of her attack on how she would explain Kevin to Miranda. She shot up when the bell rang and ran to the library, only to find Blaise there.

He looked up and gave her a coy smile. "Hey Celery." He said and Celes couldn't help but smile.

"Have you seen Miranda?" she asked.

"No, not since this morning, why?" he asked coming to stand closer to her.

"Oh, I'm supposed to meet her here. We are going to talk about… something." Celes said looking down slowly and then back up at him. He was really close to now.

"Well you could…" he trailed off and leaned in and for ten seconds Celes was going to let him kiss her, she was completely ready for it and then suddenly her brain cleared and she stepped back.

"Blaise, I can't. You see I think Harry and I may be…" she trailed off blushing.

Blaise shut down and nodded as if he understood. Then he patted her awkwardly and left the library.

Celes sighed and watched after him. She then saw Miranda walking up and smiled at her.

"Hey, so what's going on with Kevin?" Miranda asked when she reached Celes.

"He kind of used Roman to get to Lee… and then Lee well let's just say Roman isn't talking to him at all." Celes said and Miranda's eyes widened.

"Lee Jordan is gay?" she asked a little too loudly. Four or five people looked round.

"Shhh! No… at least I don't think so." Celes said softly "I think he's you know experimenting. Some guys do that, right?"

"Uh, yeah… I gotta ask; did Blaise just try to kiss you?" she asked changing the subject away from the Lee fiasco as Celes called it in her own head.

"Yeah I'm not sure what to do with that though. Ugh! Miranda why are boys so weird!?" Celes exclaimed a little loudly. She was shushed so she and Miranda left the Library to head to lunch.

"I don't know, all these boys keep asking me to go to Hogsmeade with them." She said giggling.

"I know! I'm not sure what to do with it. I like Blaise, but I like Harry too." Celes said.

With a grin Miranda said. "I don't know what to tell you. I like a boy from your house and he won't even look at me." She was pinking.

"You like a Gryffindor?" Celes asked intrigued.

"Yeah. But I'm not going to say who." She said and Celes gave a giggle as they came to the Great Hall. Everyone was buzzing about the room eating and chatting. Celes saw Roman and bade Miranda goodbye going over to her.

"Hey." She said sitting down. "Doing better?"

"Huh?" Roman asked as she looked up. "Oh, uh, yeah." _No, I'm still angry, hurt, betrayed, and exhausted._ Roman thought. _I'm angry that I allowed Kevin to use me like he did, I'm hurt that Lee lied, betrayed that he hid it from me, and just plain exhausted. I'm tired of hurting. I'm tired of all the negativity, I just want to go back to the days where I laughed and got into trouble with the boys. I want my innocent days back. I still want to be a child and play._

Celes smiled at her as she picked up Roman's plate and started to add food to it. "Here, eat everything. You hardly ate anything this morning."

Roman nodded as she gave a small glance down the table to Lee. She looked back at her plate and bit into her sandwich. It had no flavor whatsoever. Even the juice she drank had no flavor. She knew this couldn't be good. She even had lost feeling in her left arm that morning. What was really weird was when Celes was with her she seemed to be fine, but when she was alone she would start to lose feeling.

As she slowly ate flavors started to run over her tongue. She sighed as she looked at Celes.

She smiled at her, "What?"

"I think you are a Saving Grace."

"A what?"

"Back home, there are some people that have a Saving Grace. It's basically someone that helps ground you. They usually are healers." Roman smiled. "But it's rare to have one."

Celes smiled, "Really?"

"Yep. Usually they take up the roll of a mother, sister, father or brother. Usually they are really close and they help the Fallen One more than they understand."

"Really, so you think I'm a Saving Grace?"

Roman nodded as she drank her juice. Celes' positive energy beamed as she smiled brightly. Roman let it wrap around her. The numbness in her arm started to go away and the taste of her food and drink started to intensify. She still felt a little cold but it was better than not feeling or not tasting anything.

"Our innocent days are over aren't they?" Roman asked. "They were over the day you all found out my father beats me."

"I think so."

"I wished they didn't end so soon. I wanted us to be close and always stay together."

"We can still be like that."

"Maybe," After eating Roman excused herself and walked to her next class. She was thankful she didn't have Arithmancy. Her emotions were too raw and she didn't trust herself to be alone with Kevin, not yet anyways.

"Roman,"

She turned to see Kevin standing behind her. She sneered at him.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Drop the act. I already know what you did, and what you have been up too." She hissed.

Kevin smiled, "You have no idea how hard it is to be so nice. It's sickening, especially to be around people that are so chipper. How do you do it?"

Roman curled her fist into a ball as she forced herself not to move.

"Humm, so this is what you look like when you are upset."

"I'm past upset. Matter of fact I'm plotting my revenge on you."

He smiled, "It doesn't matter, I still have Lee."

She gave him a half smile, "Don't be so sure about that."

He frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I own Lee. Just like how I will own you." She told him as she took a step towards him.

Kevin rolled his eyes, "Now you are just mental. Look, just keep in mind that he is mine and you are just a friend. Keep your distance away from him."

Roman laughed as she grabbed a hold of his hand. She batted her eyelashes, "Kevin, you really are a stupid just like a Slytherin. I bet you had the choice between Slytherin and Ravenclaw."

"So," he hissed.

"How am I supposed to stay away from him, if we live in the same house and he is one of my closes friends?" She looked up at him through her lashes.

Kevin frowned down at her. He heard the cold chill in her words and the anger but yet he felt so hazy. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and let her kiss him. She had a weird effect on him. She always did, especially when she touched him.

"I never thought I would own an undercover Slytherin." She whispered. "Would you like to belong to me?"

Kevin felt his head nod. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close into his body. She gently kissed his neck. "Mark me as yours." He moaned.

"Roman stop!" Lee hissed as he pulled her away from Kevin.

Kevin shook his head and looked at Lee and Roman in confusion.

"What do you think you are doing?" Lee hissed as he shook her.

Roman snatched away from Lee's hold, "Leave me alone." She turned to Kevin and stepped towards him.

Lee pulled her back, "No, you will not touch him."

She hissed and glared at him, "And who do you think you are to tell him what to do? If anything, I _own_ you."

He stiffened and glared down at her, "He is my boyfriend."

She sneered at Lee then turned to Kevin, "He can't protect you all the time," she told Kevin. "A word of warning; be on your guard."

"I'm not scared of you." Kevin hissed.

Lee put himself between Roman and Kevin.

Roman growled then walked away.

Lee rubbed his arm as the fire sensation still burned. He knew something was wrong when his markings turned cold. It was on the verge of burning. He had looked around the Great Hall and neither saw Roman nor was Kevin in the hall. He had taken off to look for Roman in a panic. He knew she was pissed and would do something she would regret later. Sure enough he had found her in Kevin's arms. From afar it looked as if they were just lovers holding each other. For a minute he was hurt and jealousy had flooded him, but there was an odd energy around them and it had kicked him into gear. When he realized what Kevin had whispered he was angry. She was planning to mark Kevin as her property.

"Lee," Kevin said with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

"You keep rubbing your wrists."

Lee looked down to his covered arms and wrists. "Kevin, I need you to stay away from Roman." He told him.

"Lee, that's impossible. We are friends and we share a class together." He said with a little laugh.

Lee pinned Kevin with a glare, "You two are not friends. She has made it loud and clear. You are my boyfriend so it's your job to help me protect her, and by doing that you have to stay away from her."

Kevin raised an eyebrow, "It is my job to help protect her?"

"Yes,"

"And why are _we_ protecting _her_?"

"She is still my friend, whether you like it or not, I will spend a lot of time with her, but I don't want her to hurt herself. She has had a hard life and I don't want to make it worse for her."

Kevin gave a sneer as he looked down the hall, " _I'm_ your _boyfriend_ , and you are to protect _me_."

"By protecting her, I am protecting you." Lee told him.

He rolled he eyes, "Fine, I'll stay away from her, but you have to start backing me up. I don't like how that Celes girl shooed me away from your table."

"I will not back you if you do not follow the rules. I told you not to come to my table unless you were invited."

Kevin rolled his eyes, "Fine,"

Lee sighed, "Look, our trip to Hogsmeade is this weekend, how about we go together?"

Kevin looked up at him, "Really?"

"Yeah, I think it will be fun."

"Okay." He kissed Lee on the cheek and skipped away.

Lee sighed as he sat on a bench. He rolled up his sleeves and looked at the makes Roman gave him. The more he looked at them the more he saw that they were shackles with a pretty design. They started at his wrist and weaved up almost to the middle of his forearm.

He was angry at Roman for marking him. He didn't want it. He felt like a possession of hers than a person. He was shocked to hear her say he belonged to her. At first he though she was going to say that she liked him and that Kevin couldn't have him. He would have hugged her and kissed her it that was the case. However, she told him that he was her friend and Kevin couldn't have him. Who was she to tell him no one could have him. They were only friends. He could do whatever the bloody hell he wanted. And he didn't need her permission. He had other friends and she was fine with it, but now that he is more than friends with Kevin it's a big deal.

He sighed. Who was he kidding, he had been a coward and he had lied, but he only lied to protect her. He was not like her father, he wasn't abusive and the prince of lies. He only wanted to protect her and he would still protect her. Lee looked back down at the markings. He had mixed feelings about them. He didn't like them because Roman had claimed ownership of him but at the same time he was the only one who she had claimed ownership over him but at the same time he was the only one who was marked by her and it did make him feel somewhat special. But he was just fooling himself.

Time had seemed to fly by for the next few days. Kevin and Roman stayed away from each other and Roman continued to ignore Lee. When she was with the twins and Lee tagged along she would leave. If Lee was with the twin Roman kept her distance and stayed with Celes. Other than that she was alone.

Roman sat in the library late afternoon doing her homework when Fred and George came running up to them. "Roman, we need your help." They said in unison.

A couple of people at other tables shushed them, "Oh come off it!" Fred snapped at them.

"What's wrong?" Roman asked.

"It's important come with us." George told her.

Roman packed her things and left the library. "What's wrong?" She asked again.

"Filch confiscated some of our Zonko's bag from us." Fred said.

"So, he is always confiscating things from you."

"Yeah, but in this bag we left our note books that had the recipe for the Canary Creams..." George said.

"And the inventory list of all our other things." Fred finished.

Roman gasped then hit both of them. "I told you to keep the inventory in the dorm and the recipes. Why don't you guys listen to me?"

"Sorry, Ro, but we need help getting it back." Fred told her.

"How exactly am I supposed to help?"

Fred and George smiled at Roman. "We need you to create a diversion." They said in unison.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Roman asked.

Fred grinned, "You know your leopard trick?"

She frowned, "What about it?"

"We think Mrs. Norris needs a bit of exercise." George said with the same grin.

Roman smiled a genuine smile for the first time in days, "Oh, I am going to love this." She handed her book bag to Fred and took off her robe and stuffed it into her bag."

"If you get caught your name is Roree." Fred said.

"Wait, what kind of name is that?" Roman protested.

"It's such a cute name." George teased.

"We should have used it ages a go." Fred teased.

"Because it's too girly and there is no why I'm answering to that." Roman hissed.

"Come on Roree, it's such a cute little name." Fred teased again.

Roman glared at him as she turned to her snow leopard form. Fred picked her up and she hissed at him.

"Yes, yes, you are irritated because you have to be called Roree." He told her. "But it's for the best, trust me" he told her as he scratched behind her ear.

"Now, we must walk around until we run into Mrs. Norris." George said.

Roman purred and snuggled closer to Fred. About 20 min of walking around and chatting Mrs. Norris finally showed up.

"Oh, look, it's our old pal, Mrs. Norris." Fred said.

Mrs. Norris hissed at them and meowed loudly. Roman popped her head up and looked down at Mrs. Norris and hissed at her. She jumped out of Fred's arms and landed in front of her. Mrs. Norris hissed and took off running.

"Keep her busy, Roree, until we call you." George told her.

Roman took off and chased after the cat. As they ran people screamed in alarm and got out of their way. Mrs. Norris zigzag through everyone or climbed over couples sitting on benches. Roman kept a close distance to her. When she felt like Mrs. Norris was slowing down she would swipe her claw at Mrs. Norris's rear. The cat would meow loudly and add more speed to her run. It didn't take long for Filch to hear the commotion and demand to know what was happening. Mrs. Norris leaped into his arms thinking she was safe. Roman leaped into the air and Filch gasped as he dropped his cat and Roman knocked him down. Mrs. Norris took off running and Roman was on her tail.

"Mrs. Norris!" Filch screamed out as he chased after them. People still screamed in alarm as they quickly tried to get out of their way.

"What is all this racket?" Professors Snape demanded as he started to push students out of the way. Mrs. Norris leaped into his arms, climbed over his shoulder and leaped off. "What the..."

Roman leaped into the air, knocked Snape down under her weight and continued chasing Mrs. Norris.

"Mrs. Norris!" Filch screamed after them just as he knocked into Professor Snape. "Professor, you have to help me. It's going to eat my precious Mrs. Norris."

"Go get Hagrid," he sneered. "I'll chase after them!"

Roman paused a bit as she felt a wiz of air speed past her. She looked back and saw Snape pointing his wand at her. Oh now it was a party. She took off after the cat as Snape chased her.

Mrs. Norris ran up stairs, down stairs, weaved in and out of people, over people, and under people. Wherever Mrs. Norris ran Roman was there right there hot on her trail. When Roman looked behind her, she saw not only was Snape chasing her but, Hagrid, Filch, Lupin, and Professor McGonagall too.

Lee rubbed his arms and laughed as he walked with Kevin. The fluttering of the butterfly wings on his markings tickled him with happiness.

"What is so funny?" Kevin asked.

"I'm just happy. No, wait. I'm ecstatic!"

Kevin smiled up at him. "I'm glad. You have been so down lately."

"Yeah, Roman still hasn't talked to me." Lee said as he put his head down.

Kevin rolled his eyes, "Roman is just having a tantrum. Don't allow her to bring you down. If she can't accept that you and I are together, is she really a friend?"

"It's complicated, Kevin. She is a really close friend and she is more sensitive than you think. I really hurt her."

"Sensitive or not, she needs to realize that you can't always be on her beck and call."

"I'm not on her beck and call. She is so stubborn she won't even ask for help when she needs it. She has had a rough childhood."

"So has Harry Potter, apparently. But you don't see him clinging to his friends."

"Kevin, don't say thing you know nothing about. It makes you look like a git." Lee scolded. "I don't mind you speaking your mind but don't talk down on my friends or house."

Kevin huffed and then sighed, "I'm sorry."

Lee went to say something else but the commotion down the hall made him pause. "What the..."

Mrs. Norris jumped into Lee's arms then jumped into Kevin's and jumped down.

"Was that Mrs. Norris?" Kevin asked.

"I think..." Lee screamed in surprised as a snow leopard jumped into his chest, pushed off him, jumped into Kevin, knocked him down and chased after Mrs. Norris. "What in the bloody hell..."

"That blasted cat!" Snape grouched as he ran by.

"Don' hurt it!" Hagrid called out as he ran by.

"He won't hurt it; he just wants to stun it." Lupin called as he ran by.

"Don't hit any of the children!" Professor McGonagall called after Snape a she ran by.

"Mrs. Norris!" Filch screamed as he ran by.

"Was that a leopard?" Lee asked Kevin.

"I don't know, but it was white, whatever it was." Kevin said as he raised his hand so that Lee could help him up.

"Come back Roree!" Fred and George called out in unison as they ran by.

"Oh bloody hell!" Lee groaned as he took off running after them.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Kevin called as he jumped to his feet and ran after Lee.

Roman heard Fred and George call her from behind. It was time to put the chase to an end. She picked up speed and pounced onto Mrs. Norris. The slid to a stop and Roman laid on her and started to lick her.

Mrs. Norris yowled in indignation as she tried to get away.

"I got it now!" Snape called as he pointed his wand at the leopard.

"No! Don' hurt it." Hagrid said as he pushed past Snape.

"Hagrid, I told you, Snape only wanted to stun it." Lupin said as he tried to help Snape to his feet.

"Clear out of the hall!" Professor McGonagall told the children.

"Mrs. Norris!" Filch cried as he when to pick her up.

Roman hissed and swiped a claw at him.

Filch pulled back quickly. "What are you waiting for? Kill it!"

"No!" Hagrid said as he snatched the leopard up as if it was a weightless kitten.

Mrs. Norris leapt into Filch's arm and hissed at Roman.

Roman leapt into the air to get to Mrs. Norris but Hagrid caught her by the scruff of her neck.

"See, it's still trying to eat her!"

"She's not!" George yelled as he and Fred pushed past Filch.

"Oh, come here, Roree." Fred said as he took her into his arms. "Did that mean old Mrs. Norris hurt you?"

"Mean?" Filch asked offended.

Roman purred in Fred's arms.

"Is that bloody thing yours?" Snape hissed.

"No, she is mine." Lee said as he pushed past everyone followed by Kevin.

Roman stiffened and glared at Lee. Fred rubbed his face into Roman's fur, "Play along." He whispered.

"What do you mean she belongs to you?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"I brought her here to show everyone my new pet." Lee explained. "Just like third year when I brought my tarantula."

"How did she get out?" Lupin asked ad Lee took Roman into his arms.

"Lee asked us to take her out to walk her and she slipped out of her leash." George said as he pulled out a purple leash covered with jewels.

"She tried to eat Mrs. Norris!" Filch exclaimed.

"No she wasn't!" Fred and George protested

"She was playing with Mrs. Norris." Lee defended.

"We don't play with her enough during the week because of classes." George told them.

"I told you she was harmless." Hagrid told them.

Roman purred as Lee rubbed his finger under her chin.

"Besides, Roree wouldn't like the taste of your old fat cat!" Fred said.

"Mrs. Norris is not old and fat!" Filch screamed. Everyone started to argue over the situation.

"Quiet!" Professor McGonagall tried to yell over everyone.

"Everyone calm down!" Professor Dumbledor shouted as he raised his hands. Everyone quieted down as they watched Professor Dumbledore walk to their group. "What is going on?"

"That thing tried to eat Mrs. Norris." Filch told Dumbledor.

"Roree wouldn't eat you fat cat even if it was the last thing to eat!" Lee defended.

"Calm yourself, Mr. Jordan. Filch is Mrs. Norris harmed?"

"Professor..."

"Is Mrs. Norris harmed?" Dumbledor asked.

"No,"

"Then the leopard stays."

"Headmaster, I really must protest." Snape said.

"Headmaster, the children!" McGonagall protested.

"She is harmless!" Fred and George said in unison.

"I see nothing wrong with Mr. Jordan keeping his pet. We do allow pets here." Dumbledor said.

"Headmaster, a leopard?" McGonagall asked.

"I agree that thing is too dangerous." Snape said.

"I see no danger. We do allow cat, do we not?"

"Headmaster, not a leopard." McGonagall protested.

"We never specified why type of cats, so it stays."

"It chased after Mrs. Norris." Filch cried.

"Mrs. Norris is fine. If anything she is just tired from her much needed exercise." Dumbledor said.

Filch huffed as he held Mrs. Norris close.

"Hagrid, will you take Mr. Jordan and Mr. Weasleys down to your hut and teach them the proper care for a leopard?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Dumbledor." Hagrid took Roman into his arms and walked off. Fred, George, Lee and Kevin followed him to his hut.

"Hagrid, we already know how to take of her, can we just have her back?" Fred asked as they entered the hut.

Hagrid set Roman down and she bounded towards Fang. He sniffed her cautiously. She licked him a couple of times and then curled up between his legs.

"Oh, Lee," Kevin said breathlessly, "She is beautiful."

"Yes she is." Lee said.

Roman watched Kevin with unblinking eyes.

"Maybe you should sit by me." Lee said as he pulled Kevin to sit away from her.

"That is a fine cat, you have there," Hagrid said. "Never seen Mrs. Norris run so fast in my life."

Fred and George laughed, "That was pretty funny.

Hagrid smiled, "Where did you get her, Jordan?"

"My parents got her for me. I don't know where they got her." He leaned on the table with his elbow and watched Roman. She really was beautiful, both in her leopard form and human form.

"What is her name again?"

"Roree," Fred and George said together.

Fang licked her as he got comfortable around her.

"So you have been hiding her in your dorm all this time?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah, she isn't too good around people. I'm surprised she let Hagrid hold her." Lee said. "Then again, you take care of a lot of animals, don't you Hagrid?

"Yes I do. I had a dragon for a bit, but then we had to send him to Romania." Hagrid said sadly.

"Hagrid, I think we should be leaving now," George said.

"Yeah, it is almost supper time." Fred said as he stood up.

"And we need to feed Roree." Lee said as he got up and picked Roman up. She hissed as she tried to get out of his arms.

"What's wrong with her?" Kevin asked.

"She is upset with me. I haven't been walking her lately." Lee told him as they left the hut.

"I can carry her." Kevin said as he reached to take her out of Lee's arms.

Roman hissed and swiped a claw at him.

"Roree!" Lee scolded as he pulled away. "Be nice."

Kevin checked his hand for scratches. It was a close call, he could have lost something.

Fred smirked; "You should be careful of what you touch,"

"Or who you touch." George said.

"The exotic looking ones are always the dangerous ones." They said in unison.

Roman growled deep her throat.

Lee sighed and handed her to Fred. He didn't want to let go but he knew he had to or she was going to scratch him.

"It seems all your girls are angry with you." Kevin told him.

Lee gave a humorless laugh, "You have no idea. The worst part is that neither one of them listens to me and they are so damn stubborn."

Roman gave a loud yowl as she eyed Lee dangerously.

"Yeah, well, you aren't my favorite either right now." Lee told the leopard. "Do you know how miserable I have been? Of course you wouldn't know. You aren't talking to me."

Roman hissed as she tried to get out of Fred's arms. She didn't want to hear about his stupid misery when he was the one who caused it.

Lee reached out his hand towards her and she sank her teeth into it. He winced but didn't pull away.

"Lee!" Kevin cried.

"Roree!" Fred and George also cried.

"Don't!" Lee told them before they could pull away.

"But Lee," Kevin said as he wrapped his arm around Lee's.

"You stupid git!" Fred hissed at Kevin. "If you pull on his arm you are going to make it worse."

Kevin sneered at him, "Well excuse me for trying to help."

"If you were trying to help. Her fangs are lodged into his hand!"

"She isn't a full grown leopard, so he should be fine!" George hissed. "Can you see he is unfazed by it?"

"Either way..."

"Kevin, calm down." Lee growled. Roman had steadily added more pressure every time Kevin protested. He wasn't sure how much he could stand until it was too much. He put his face into her fur and rubbed against it. "I am sorry." He whispered. "Truly, I am sorry."

Roman gave one last growl and then dislodged her teeth from Lee's hand.

George wrapped the collar and leash around her neck. "Well, we are going to take, Roree to our room and feed her." Fred said.

Fred let Roman down as George held the leash. He rummaged through Roman's bag and pulled out the special healing cream she uses and handed it to Lee. "Here, use this. It should help with your hand."

Lee looked at room sitting stiffly with her back towards him. She didn't protest against him using it so he took it. "Thanks."

"Lee!" Kevin scolded. "We need to take you to see Madam Pomfrey."

"We can't do that." Lee told him. "If we do that, then the teachers will know what happened and they will make me send her away. I don't want that to happen. I like her around me, even though she is angry with me. I will always want her with me." He rubbed the cream on his hand and then lifted it so that Kevin could inspect his wounds which were now gone.

Lee ran his hands over it and then looked at the cream, "What is that?"

"Roman's special cream." Fred smiled.

Kevin glared down at Lee's hand. He couldn't get rid of Roman. She was always in Lee's mind. It was Roman this, Roman that, Roman, Roman, Roman. He wanted to scream. He had to get rid of Roman or make Roman look bad in front of Lee so that he could stop thinking about her. "I still think you should get your hand looked at."

Roman hissed and pulled at her leash.

"Ah, we better take her inside to feed her." George said as he allowed Roman to pull him away.

"Meet us later. We need to discuss something with you." Fred told Lee.

Lee nodded, "Okay."

Roman pulled Georg into empty classroom and then waited for the door to shut when it did she changed back to herself and screamed. "I should have gone after that little shit!" She growled.

"Did you really have to bite Lee?" Fred asked.

"That was dangerous, Ro." George told her.

"I thought he was going to pull away!" she hissed. "I didn't expect to bite him. What I should have done was jump onto Kevin and mauled him."

Fred shook his head as he pulled Roman to a stop. He unbuckled the collar and stroked a finger down her neck. "I think you need to talk to Lee." He told her.

Roman pulled turned away and crossed her arms, "I don't want to talk to him." She told him. "If I do, he will make me forgive him and I'm not ready to do that."

Fred wrapped his arms around her, "You know, I thought we were done for when Filch wanted you dead."

Roman laughed, "I could have gotten away no problem." I had been dodging Snape's spells for an hour. I was just surprised that they kept up with us."

"Oh, man, that was a priceless diversion; I don't think we could ever match that one." George said.

"Did you see the indignation on Mrs. Norris's face when I pounced and started licking her?" Roman asked.

"Oh, man, we missed it."

"Priceless!"

"Well, on a bright note, not only did we get our stuff, we got some other things Filch took from us." Fred said.

"We should do this again." Roman said. I really did enjoy chasing after that cat."

George laughed as he put the collar into Roman's bag, "I think I would rather watch this time." He said.

"Where and when did you get that leash and collar?" Roman asked.

Fred smiled, "The day after you showed us you could change we knew you would come in handy so we had it made just in case."

Roman rolled her eyes. "All that running has me hungry." She said as she stretched.

"Well, let's go down and get some food." George said.

They entered the Great Hall and made their way to their table. Everyone chatted excitedly about the commotion that happened and told their own tale on what they saw. It was funny to hear some of the stories. One boy said he barely got out with his life. A girl said that it was a war zone in the halls. Roman, Fred and George laughed as they heard the stories.

Celes glared down at Roman, Fred, and George with her fist on her hips.

"Oh, hi, Celes." Roman greeted.

"What did you guys do?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

Roman shrugged, "I have no idea what you mean."

Celes sat next to her as Dumbledor made some announcements and then the food appeared. "What is that I hear a leopard was chasing Filch's cat?" she asked as she filled Roman's plate.

Fred and George laughed, "Oh that." Fred said.

"Yes that."

"Well, you see, George and I were walking, Roree."

"Lee's cat," George added.

"And she slipped out the collar when she saw Mrs. Norris." Fred continued.

"She wanted to play." George added.

Roman gave a little giggle as she at her food. "And play she did." She giggled.

Fred smiled, "So one thing lead to another and next thing we know. Roree had everyone chasing her." He concluded.

"Do you know how dangerous that could have been?" She whispered.

"True, but no one got hurt." Roman told her.

"Lee did." George said.

Fred and Roman kicked George under the table.

"What happened?"

"So, you guys will be going to Hogsmeade tomorrow." Fred said as he changed the subject. "I bet you're excited."

"I'm not going." Roman told them.

"Why not?" Celes asked.

"Cause I have some other things to do tomorrow." Roman told them.

"But, Roman, this is our first time, it should be special. Besides this is a rite of passage!" she told her. "We suffer for two years and then the third year we are given free will to go to Hogsmeade."

Roman laughed, "Have we really suffered for two years?"

"Oh, you know you have. Every time the twins went to Hogsmeade they rubbed it in."

"And they shared their stuff with us to make up for it too." Roman pointed out.

"Well, I don't want to share with them."

Fred and George frowned as they looked at Celes. They rolled their eyes. George sighed, "So Celes, I hear Blaise asked you to go to Hogsmeade with him." He said as he changed the topic.

Celes frowned as she looked at George ready to tell him that Blaise never asked her to Hogsmeade.

"Really?" Fred asked. "I also heard that Draco asked you to go to Hogsmeade too."

Roman frowned as she looked at Fred and George then to Celes. "Surely you are not going with them, are you?" She asked Celes.

"I heard you haven't given them an answer." George said.

"Good, you don't need to go anywhere with those two." Roman said as she took a bite of her roasted chicken.

Celes smiled as she caught on to what Fred and George were doing. She shrugged, "Well, I was thinking of telling Draco yes and go to Honey Dukes with him."

Roman choked on her food and then scowled at Celes.

Celes patted her on the back as Roman drank her juice to wash down her food. "Then again, I do like Blaise. He is kind of charming." She told her.

"Why can't you just go with Harry?" Roman asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, he cannot go. His permission slip was never signed. We have been trying to get some of the teachers to sign it but they won't do it." She sighed.

"Well, then we need to forge a signature." Roman said as she looked over to Harry whom was chatting secretively with Ron and Hermione. Every now and then he would look over to Celes. Oh yeah, it was there.

"You can't do that." Fred and George said in unison.

"Why not?"

"Because the permission slip is enchanted." Celes told her.

"Shit, why is are all the permission slips enchanted." She huffed as she glared down at her food.

"Anyways, since Harry hasn't asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him, I decided to to say yes to..."

"Oh no you are not." Roman interrupted her. "We are going together. I am going to stay by your side and help protect your virtue."

Celes raised her eyes brows. "You don't think Harry will threaten my virtue?"

"I didn't say that, anyways I'm going with you. Besides, you had me at Honey Dukes."

Celes shook her head, "You are so predictable!"

Roman stuck out her tongue. After supper they all went back to the Common room. Fred and George showed Roman their new findings of Filch's office as Celes sat with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They had been spending a lot of time together but Roman didn't mind; especially now that Roman wanted to be alone mostly.

Roman drifted in and out of sleep as she sat next to Fred as he and George discussed their new invention. Every now and then Roman would add her thoughts to their discussion and then lean closer to Fred and drift back to sleep.

"Ro, go on up to bed." Fred told her.

Roman was now fully on his lap with his arms wrapped tightly around her. She yawned and snuggled closer her him, "No, I'm comfortable here." She told him. The truth was ever since her father had come she had been having weird nightmares. She noticed the only time she had slept well was when Celes had slept with her or if she had snuck into the boy's dorms to sleep with Lee, Fred, or George it just depended on who was up.

There was a few time the twins were up and she had ended up sleeping with them both. The next day they had woken up in a weird position. Roman had somehow ended up holding Fred's head against her chest while George used her inner thigh as a pillow and they were all at the foot of the bed. One of their doormats had taken a picture and posted it around the common room. Percy wasn't happy about it and had ended up writing to their mother about it, while Celes threatened everyone about the picture. She had said if it gotten out of Gryffindor tower she was going do unimaginable things to them that they would wish they were never born.

Molly was surprised to see the picture she didn't even know how to send a howler to them without embarrassing Roman. Celes ended up choking Percy for sending the picture to Molly. Roman had shrugged the whole thing off, they were sleeping and it was all innocent. Of course poor George couldn't look at her for a whole week.

Celes walked over to the twins and whispered something to them and then took Roman up to their dorms to sleep.

"What did you guys want to talk about?" Lee asked when Celes and Roman were in their dorm. He had been sitting with them since he had gotten back from Kevin. Roman hadn't objected because she was fast asleep.

"Wait a moment, Celes is coming back down." George told him.

When Celes came back down she was dressed in her nightgown and a robe. She sat opposite of Lee. "What's going on?" Lee asked.

"This fight between you and Roman has lasted long enough. You need to make up with her." Celes told him.

"Coming from the one who had a fight with her last year and didn't talk to her for six months." Lee drawled as he rolled his eyes.

"I know what I'm saying is making me sound like a hypocrite but for those six months it was torture! Yes I got by because I had my brother to keep me company. You don't have anyone."

"I have the twins,"

"And we feel as if we are off balance." George said.

"It has always been the three of us, but when Roman came along it became four." Fred said.

"With you two fighting we feel as if we have to choose between who we are going to hang out with." George added.

"We have never asked you to choose between us." Lee said. "As far as I am concern Roman and I have come to a silent agreement to share our time with you."

"And it's driving us mental!" The twins said in unison.

"Besides you have been spending time with the git." Celes told him. "I bet he has been irritated with you lately."

Lee looked down at his hands, "He just doesn't understand, it will take him time."

Celes rolled her eyes, "He is up to no go and you bloody well know it." She snapped. "Tomorrow we are going to Hogsmeade. The last store we go to is Honey Dukes. Make sure you are there so you can make up with Roman." With that said she got up. She paused before she left. "I have a feeling she is headed down a dark path this year." She told them. "I am really worried about her and I know we need to stick close to her." She bid them good night and went to bed.

Lee sighed as he sat back in his chair. He did miss her. He missed her smile and her laughter. "I do miss her." Lee told Fred and George.

"You know, she never meant to bite you." George told him.

"She thought you were going to pull away." Fred told Lee. "You can use that to help you tomorrow."

"She will feel guilty if you bring that up." George added. "It will bring down her shields long enough for you to break her stubbornness."

Lee nodded. He needed to be the bigger man in this situation. Roman will as be the stubborn one when she feels like she has been wronged. He sighed as he rubbed his face. The girl was going to drive him crazy.

Now that the weekend had arrived and it was their first time going to Hogsmeade Celes had awaken extra early. She even woke Roman up early. After grousing about Celes being the devil and terrorizing her on a weekend that needed to be slept in she finally got up. It was pure torture. Weekends were meant to be slept in not woken up early.

After nearly falling asleep in the shower Roman finally got out. She dressed in black jeans and scarlet peasant top. It hugged around her chest and her arms down to her elbows and then flared out. Roman looked at herself in the mirror and frowned. She picked up her hair and looked side to side. She sighed and walked back to her dorm room. She pulled on her moccasins and brushed her hair back. She placed a red flower clip in her hair above her right ear. When she was done she went down the stairs and met Celes there.

"I still want to sleep in." she grumbled at her.

Celes smiled, "Sleep in or not you look like you are in a good mood today."

Roman shrugged her shoulders and followed her down to the Great Hall for breakfast. She looked around and frowned again. "Celes, Fred and George are not even in here!" she complained. "If they can sleep in why can't I?"

"They aren't going."

"Wait, what? Why aren't they going?"

"Because they said that they had been there before it's all the same. But they did want me to give you this list." Celes said as she handed Roman a list.

Roman frowned and looked over the list. She rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, because I'm female I can organize and won't forget anything on the list?"

Celes laughed, "They did say something like that."

After breakfast and showing Celes the basic moves of a hula they sat in the courtyard. Celes watched Roman dance through a hula. She had watched Roman for the past week and even before that. Roman had kept to herself about the Lee fiasco and tried not to think about everything. Every now and then she would cry herself to sleep, but she had nightmares every night. She had put on a strong face for everyone but she knew that she was really hurting.

"Ro, how are you really feeling?" Celes asked.

Roman stopped dancing and looked over at Celes with a frown. "I'm fine."

"No, how do you really feel?"

Roman sighed and looked down at her hands. Out of everything that had been happening there had been one thing that really bothered her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You know you can ask me anything."

"Who said I insisted that I didn't have any feelings for Lee besides friendship?"

Celes cocked her head to the side as she thought about it. "Well, Lee said Kevin told him." She paused as she watched Roman closely. "It is true, right?"

Roman kept her face a blank mask, "Yeah," she whispered.

Celes frowned as she watched Roman. She didn't give anything away but then there was a strange look in her eyes. It was as if her pupils became bigger and most of the color in her eye was gone. Usually Roman was expressive about everything but the lack of expression told Celes the truth. Kevin had lied and it pissed Celes off. "I think maybe Lee also likes you." she said quietly.

Roman laughed, "It's time that I grow up and stop believing in fairy tales and wishes. Besides, I know Fred and Lee have been fighting over me. They have been doing that since my first year. I tried to ignore it so I could selfishly keep whatever childhood I could have." She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "Besides he likes Kevin."

"You picked Lee over Fred, didn't you?" Celes whispered.

"No, he was just safe. I mean he is gay. Most gay guys are safe to flirt with. There isn't much to be expected." Roman said stiffly.

Celes sighed "Well, if he was safe don't you think its time to forgive him?"

Roman glared at the ground. In all logic she had no reason to really be pissed off at him, except for the fact that he did lie about taking tutoring sessions and going against her wishes and befriending Kevin. But that should have only deserved him a few days of silence. If anything Lee deserved to be pissed off at her. Not only did she insult him but she also marked him. Then to top it all off Lee had acted as if he had been the wrong this whole time.

Why didn't she see this? Roman sat next to Celes as she looked at the gathering of third years. Everything was going to change. Her relationship with Lee would have to change. Roman took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders as she raised her chin, "You may have a point." She smiled at Celes. "How did you become so smart?"

"I've always been smart."

"Well, let's have some fun. Here comes Professor McGonagall." They handed their permission slips to Professor McGonagall and made their way to the little village of Hogsmeade.

Lee walked around Hogsmeade with Kevin trying to act interested in what Kevin was talking about or pointed at. He had arrived after the third years and met up with Kevin. He felt so nervous, his stomach was twisting up and he felt a little shaky. It was funny. Ever since she had marked him it was like he could feel her moods through the markings. He had talked to Fred and George about it and they automatically started taking notes.

He took in a deep breath as he and Kevin walked out of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop when he laid eyes on her. She wore fitted black jeans, a crushed velvet peasant top that seemed to emphasize her breast. A red flower was clipped in her long silken curtain of hair. Lee sucked in a sharp breath as he watched her. She smiled as walked out of Gladrags Wizardwear.

Kevin frowned as he looked up at Lee. He looked over to where Lee was looking at, and his frown depend. Roman was laughing as she was looking through her bag. Kevin nudged Lee until he looked down at him.

"I'm sorry; I wasn't paying attention, what were you saying?" Lee asked as he looked back to where Roman was now entering Zonko's Joke Shop.

"I was saying we should go to Honeydukes." Kevin told him as he glared at Roman.

Right as Roman was about to enter the shop she looked up and looked around. She spotted Lee and Kevin. Lee was looking at her kind of strange and Kevin was glaring at her. She rolled her eyes and walked into Zonko's. Fred and George said it would be a good idea to look around and try to think of some more stuff to invent. She ducked as something flying came whizzing past her.

A pink and purple glow caught her eye as she walked by a shelf. The glow was coming from liquid that were placed in little heart bottles. She frowned as she picked one up and examined it.

"Love potions?" A boy asked from behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw a boy frowning at her. He had dark hair and dark eyes. He was the same brooding looking boy who took the book off the top shelf for her. "You don't seem like the type to use them."

Roman's eyebrows shot up, "And what type would that be?"

He shrugged, "You always seem so sure of yourself."

She laughed, "Actually, if you must know, I wasn't going to use it on anyone. If I did I would try brewing it myself." She shrugged as she picked up a few more bottles. "I'm just going to experiment with them."

He shrugged, "Not my business." He told her.

She walked over to another shelf and reached up for a box, when the feeling of being watched struck her. She looked a little passed her arm and saw another boy watching her. He looked at her as if he was waiting for her to do something. Or for something to happen.

A sigh came from behind her, "If you want something from the top shelves you really need to use you wand." The brooding boy told her as he reached up and took down a box of Hiccup Sweets.

"Well, why should I use my wand when tall tough boys like you are always around." She teased. "And thank you."

He turned a slight shade of pink. "You are welcome with that said he made his way to the opposite end of the store.

Roman shook her head as she watched him; he was too easy to pick on. Just like Snape. As she looked over the Hiccup Sweets the boy that was watching her walked up to her.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk to her or just watch her. He finally stepped next to her.

She looked up and gave him a little smile and continued to read the back of the Hiccup Sweets.

"Good Day." He greeted.

"Good day." She greeted back.

"You are Roman McTaggert, are you not?"

"And you have been watching me, why?"

"Oh, I was, uh, I was just, I was wondering where your friend Celes was?" He asked.

She looked at him suspiciously, "Why?"

"Oh, because, you always seemed to be guarded by your friends." He said.

"So, what are you trying to say?" Roman asked as she frowned up at him.

"Well, when you are around your friends it hard for a guy to talk to you." He said.

"Oh really? And what would this guy ask?" Roman asked him as she looked at some other things on the shelf.

"Well, he would ask if you would be interested going to Madam Puddifoot's, next time we are able to come back to Hogsmeade."

"She isn't interested." Someone said behind her.

Roman frowned and looked over her shoulder to see another boy standing behind her.

"Excuse me?" The first boy asked.

"Go away," he told the boy as he stepped closer to Roman. "She is going out with me.

"I didn't see you asking her anything."

"I don't need to ask her because I'm better looking than you are."

"A pig is what you are." A third boy told him.

Roman covered her mouth as she smiled. A fourth boy stepped up and started to argue over her. She turned to get out of the way but saw she was encircled by them. As entertaining as everything was, it was still a little unnerving to be so close to them. And weather she wanted to or not she was starting to panic. A hand grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her away from the crowd of boy.

"Thank you." She whispered as he held her and walked her to the cashier to check out. When she was done paying and was safely outside she took a deep breath. That was a little too much for her. "Thank you she said again to the boy beside her.

He smiled at her, "You are welcome. I'm Prescott, or Scott, as my friends would call me."

"Roman,"

"I know who you are." He told her.

She frowned, "How do you know who I am?"

He gave a laugh, "The only girl that can hang out with the Weasley twins and get into as much trouble is very noticeable. Celes Diggory is also noticeable because she is the little sister of Cedric Diggory. She is also pretty."

She laughed, "Well, either way, thanks again."

He nodded and went on his way.

Roman walked to the Post Office and found Celes with Ron and Hermione in there. "See how you guys are? I was attacked and you guys are just here having a good ol' time." She huffed as she crossed her arms.

Celes frowned, "What do you mean you were attacked?"

"I went to Zonko's and a boy was trying to ask me out, then another boy started to argue with him and then the next thing you know I was surrounded by four boys all of them and the edge of violence who was going to ask who out." She said in one breath. "I barely made it out with my life!"

Hermione snickered as she covered her mouth with her hand.

Celes rolled her eyes.

"Wait, I don't get it." Ron said. "A boy asked you out, then a second boy started to argue with him? Why?"

"Ron, Roman is being dramatic." Hermione told him.

Roman gasped, "I am not being dramatic."

"Yes you are, Ro." Celes told her.

"But I am still lost," Ron said. "The second guy was upset because he wanted to ask the other guy out or you and what about the other two?"

Hermione snickered again.

"They all wanted to ask her out but one got to it first. Which probably caused a chain reaction and Roman was stuck in the middle of the four. It probably made her uncomfortable." Celes explained.

"I can't believe this. I was scandalized by being stuck in a wild pack of boys, who were arguing about who was going to ask me out and you don't care."

"I you are being dramatic again. You are not harmed, you are not pale, and you are not scared. Like I was saying, you were probably uncomfortable."

"That hurts, Cel." She brought her hands to her chest. "Right here, in the heart. I barely got out with my life and you are unworried. Next time I bring Fred and George, they will protect me."

"Oh, stop being dramatic. Here we will go to Honeydukes to calm you down. I'll even be your escort so you won't get "attacked" again."

"I don't need your protection." Roman told her as they walked out the Post Office.

"Oh, watch out, Roman, there is a boy right there." Celes teased.

Roman and Hermione laughed.

"I still don't get it?" Ron said.

"Just forget about it, Ron. Ro was just being Ro."

As they stepped into Honey Dukes Roman went wide eyed. "Celes, I am going to go on a 5 day sugar high. I think I deserve this." She said in awe as she looked around.

"Oh, no you are not!"

"Yes I am."

"You are going to have one candy after you have bought all you want then I'm going to hide your bag and give you candy in moderations."

Roman gasped in offence and looked at her in horror, "Moderation?! What kind of nonsense do you speak of?"

"The same nonsense you speak. How could you say you are going on a 5 day sugar high?" Celes told her.

Roman started to bounce in place, "Because I want my 5 day high!" She complained.

"No!"

Roman huffed and walked away.

"I guess she wasn't too scandalized if she is wondering around herself." Hermione snickered again.

"Oh, she is never too scandalized for candy or anything sweet." Celes smiled.

Roman wanted a little of everything. She paused in front of the lolly pops and picked the biggest one. It turned into multiple colors, from reds, to blues, to purples, to yellows.

"Oh, please tell me Celes isn't letting you have that now?" Lee asked her from behind.

"Yes she is." Roman told him, too focused on the lolly pop. "She said I can buy whatever I wanted, eat a candy now, and then she is going to give me candy in moderations. However, she didn't tell me how big or small of a candy I can have now." She gave an evil laugh.

"Very evil, Ro. Very evil." He paused and then smiled. "Now, what if I were to buy you a separate bag of candy without her knowing, would you forgive me?" He whispered.

Roman kept her eyes on the lolly pop but didn't see it. Was she really ready to forgive him. She did miss him but she wasn't going to let him know that. She missed how close they were; she missed his smile, laughter, his arms wrapped around her. "Why would I want to go and forgive you?" She asked as she looked at the other interesting candy.

"Because its hell without you around." He told her truthfully. "Look, I messed things up. I'm sorry. I should not have lied and I should not have been a coward and gone behind your back. I should have told you, I was dating Kevin."

Roman glared at the candy on the wall. She never wanted to hear his name again. She didn't even want to see him again. But for the past few days Lee had dined with him at the Ravenclaw table. She didn't know what hurt worst, the lie and betrayal or the fact that by openly sitting with Kevin and being his boyfriend meant she would never be as close to him as Kevin was.

The marks on Lee's arms tinkled hotly. If there was one thing he had learned in the past few days it was the fact that the marks on his arms reflected Roman's mood. The vine looking design had turned to fire, ice, and even rain. It wasn't just the change of the appearance that affected him but it was through the mark that he was able to feel what she was feeling. The ice cold of her rage, the burning fire of her anger, or the trickling of ran when she cried, was all he felt. It was only when she cried that it tore him apart. He hated himself for being the cause of her grief. He wanted to comfort her but she had refused to even look at him.

"Yes, you should have." She told him coolly. "Tell me, have you showed him my claim on you?"

Lee glared at her.

She turned and faced him as she took a hold of one of his wrists. She allowed his emotion to flow through her, "You are ashamed, but is it because you are ashamed of it or ashamed of me?"

"Does it really matter?" He growled.

She sneered at him as she turned around to look at something else. "If you are looking for me to take them off, don't bother asking me." She hissed. She picked up a coil of licorice. "Besides, even if I wanted to take it off I wouldn't know how." She told him. "So, you'll just have to suffer with it."

"Why are you picking a fight?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

Lee tightly held her elbow and took her to an empty corner of the store. He pulled up his sleeves, "Look at them." He snapped. "They are on fire. You are angry with me. I know nothing will make up for the wrong that I did to you. But I feel everything you feel. For the past few days I know when you burned with anger, when you turned cold with rage, and when you wept with hurt." He told her. "I felt it all through these marks."

Roman looked at him stiffly, "So," she told him.

He brushed some of her hair behind her ear, "So, I know, no matter what I do nothing is going to make up the hurt I caused you, but I only ask that you try to forgive me so that I may try to comfort you as best as I can."

She looked away as she tried to fight back her tears. She didn't want to forgive him. It was why she had been avoiding him. She knew his words would disarm her like no one has ever done. He seemed to read her better than anyone else.

"God, Roman," he whispered, "I miss you so damn much the twins have started to call me a bloody cry baby."

Roman gave a smile as she wiped at her eyes, "You lie." She whispered.

"I swear to Merlin, they have been calling me a cry baby, and not just a cry baby but a _bloody_ cry baby. George and Celes called my all kinds of idiots. Fred said I am a brainless git."

She laughed as she pressed her forehead against his chest, "I'm sorry, Lee."

"Not as much as I am sorry." He held her tight. It felt so right.

She shook her head, "I shouldn't have marked you. When I find out how I did it, I swear I'll remove them." She told him as she looked up at him.

"I know, and I'm sorry about everything. I lied and I was a coward, I should have told you."

"No, I had not right to be angry at you. It's your life. You can be whoever's boyfriend you want to be. I should not dictate whom you could date. It is not my place. And I should not have bit you."

Lee laughed, "Butterfly, you can bite me whenever you want." He told her as he let his fingers run through her hair. "I was trying to protect you and in doing so I messed everything up."

"From what? From the fact that Kevin used me or from the lie of him being my friend."

"Both. Actually, they are the same, but there was one more thing why I did it."

Roman frowned, "What?"

Lee wanted to bear his soul to her. He wanted to tell her everything about his feeling for her and why everything came about, but he knew their new trust was still a little shaky and he didn't want to overload her with everything, so he only told her one reason why he decided to date Kevin. "The night you cried in Fred's arms was my breaking point. I needed to know what your father looked like."

She frowned as she took a step away from him, "Why?"

"I was angry at what he had done to you. I was angry that he didn't love you like a father should. I was angry enough to kill for you. I told Kevin I would date him so I could find out what your father looked like, except he doesn't know that last part."

She gasped as she pressed herself against the wall, "Lee, tell me you didn't go after him. Tell me you didn't do anything stupid like sending my father a hexed message."

Lee ran his hands through his dreadlocks. "No, I didn't. I thought about it. I even thought about sending someone or something to him, but I didn't."

"Thank God." She punched his arm, "You truly are an idiot. Why didn't you ask me?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't tell me."

"Damn right I wouldn't tell you." She snapped. She paused as she frowned at him and then looked down at her candy in her hands. "Do you..." she cleared her throat. "Do you..." she paused and called herself all kinds of stupid. She wanted to know if Lee really liked Kevin, but obvious he did, or he wouldn't have become his boyfriend. But then he just told her he only started to date him because he wanted information about her father. But then again why was he still with him?

"Do I... what?" He asked. He stepped closer and lifted her chin. "I can feel your confusion and hurt, what do you want to ask me?"

"Ah," she cleared her throat and just looked into his eyes. He leaned closer to her so that his nose was now rubbing against hers. Her lips tingled with anticipation of his lips. "Do you, ah," she licked her suddenly dry lips. "Do you still want to buy me the separate candy?" She asked as she closed her eyes.

Lee groaned inwardly and called himself an idiots. She was still a kid and didn't understand what she was feeling. He felt her nervousness and her wanting but her nerves seemed to get the best of her. He kissed her forehead and smiled at her "Only this once." He told.

Roman blinked as she tried to understand what just happened and then she smiled brightly, "Really?" She asked as she hopped in place. "It's for an experiment."

"Sure it is," he told her. He took her by the hand and went back to the more populated area.

"I swear it!" She picked up some more rope of licorice and handed it to him, "You see, I have an issue with my hair. Just like any other girl has,"

"There is nothing wrong with your hair, I like your hair." He told her as he rubbed some of it between his fingers.

She rolled her eyes, "Anyways, I want to create something that will help me with it. Like style it and stuff like that. It can come in handy for other girls."

"So, why the licorice?" He asked.

"Well, I named it Lushes Licorice."

Lee laughed, "Of course you did. Anything with candy is right up your alley."

Roman smiled as she handed him two more coils. "Well, I don't care what you say, it's going to be a hit and the twins are going to sell it in their Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

"I really hope they pull it off."

"Me too, I have some more ideas for it too." She got some taffy, chocolates, toffee, cream puffs, and some other juice filled candy and handed them to Lee.

"And these are for?" He asked.

"Cream Puffs and the taffy are for Fred and George. The rest is for me. She looked at everything and then gave him the licorice, the juice filled candy, and the toffee. "You can buy those, because they are for me. I'll get these."

"What about your lolly pop?"

Roman smiled, "That I am definitely buying."

Lee shook his head, "Celes is going to go mental when she sees that."

She shrugged as she looked around. "Speaking of Celes, where is she?"

"She is at The Three Broomsticks." Lee told her.

"She left, and without me?" She looked back at Lee and glared at him, "This was a plot all along, wasn't it?"

He shrugged as he pushed her towards the counter to pay, "Maybe it was our entire plan." He told her.

She pulled out her money and paid for the stuff that was in her hand. "It's mutiny, if you ask me."

Lee paid for the stuff in his hand and then grabbed her hand and pulled her out the store. "Mutiny or not, it worked."

"And then to top it off, you bribed me!"

"And you accepted the bribe. I think we are good."

"What if I told Celes?"

"Then you will never see you candy again." He told her with a gin and pulled her into the Three Broomsticks.

"And you say I'm evil. You know I need those for my experiments."

"I know, but she doesn't."

Celes sat at a table with Miranda, Kevin, Ron, and Hermione. Kevin frowned when he saw Lee and Roman holding hands. He was going to say something but then Roman pulled her hand away and pulled out a big lolly pop.

Celes gasped when she saw the big lolly pop she was holding. "Dear Merlin! Tell me you did not buy her that."

"No, he did not, I did. You said I could have whatever candy I want now. You didn't say how big or small it had to be." Roman said as she stuck out her tongue.

"You are not going to eat that now."

"Oh, yes I am."

"Cel, she is right, you didn't tell her how big or small it had to be." Lee defended.

Celes glared at him, "Oh, you can it. She knew what the bloody hell I meant. If she eats that she will surely have a five day sugar high."

Roman squealed, "I know! This is going to be so awesome!" She went to rip the wrapper off of it but it went flying out of her hands. Her mouth dropped open as she looked at Lee. "Hey! That's mine!"

"Not if you are going to eat it all."

"You knew my plan before I bought it, now you are trying to score brownie points? What the hell, man. What the hell?"

"You let her buy it?" Celes asked.

"I didn't..."

"He even _offered_ to buy it." Roman added.

Celes and Kevin gasped, "Lee! You know bloody well, she can't have it and you even offered?" Celes asked.

Lee glared at Roman, "Thanks for putting me under the bus." He groaned.

"Welcome back to the inner sanctums of our friendship." She smiled. "Now give it back." She grabbed a hold of it and started to pull. They fought over it as they pulled back and forth.

"How about we order some Butter Beer?" Hermione suggested. "I hear it's sweet."

Roman let go of the lolly pop just as Lee was pulling back on it and it smacked him in the face, which in turn knocked him out of his seat.

"Lee!" Kevin exclaimed as he knelt down beside him are you okay?"

Lee glared up at Roman whom hid her face in her arms on the table.

"Oh, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned sweet." Hermione said.

Celes had a hard time keeping her face clear from any humor. "Are you okay, Lee." She asked a little high in octave.

"Yeah, I'm good." He sat up with the lolly pop in hand and looked over at Roman's shaking body.

"What's wrong with Ro?" Ron asked.

"She is laughing at me." Lee said with a sigh.

Roman took a deep breath as she sat up and laughed. "I'm... I'm... sorry." She laughed. Her face turned red as she whipped tears from her eyes. "Oh God... I... can't... I can't... breeeeeeath!" She laughed as she leaned on Lee.

Celes broke out laughing next to her. "I'm sorry, Lee, but that was bloody funny."

Lee smiled as he shook his head.

"It's not funny." Kevin hissed.

"Oh, lighten up, mate." Ron told him. "That was bloody funny!"

"Oh, my side... it hurts... oh God." Roman took in gulps of air and blow out as she tried to calm herself. One look at Lee and she was laughing again. Soon everyone around the table was laughing, all, except Kevin, who seemed to be pouting.

After everyone had calmed down they all order a round of Butter Beer. Celes smiled as chatted adamantly with Miranda and Hermione. Roman showed Lee and the others some of her findings when she had visited some of the other stores. When they decided it was time to leave it was late afternoon.

Roman rubbed her arms as she shivered a little. "Are you cold?" Celes asked.

"Just a little chilly." Roman told her.

"I see you made up with Lee."

Roman frowned at Celes, "I know you and the twins planned it."

"I do not know what you speak of." Celes said as she raised her chin.

"It was mutiny. My friends working against me." She bumped into Celes a bit. "I am thankful for it."

Celes smiled and bumped her back, "Good friends are hard to come by." She told her. They were silent for a while. "I worry a lot about you. You have a good heart but at times I just feel like you are on a borderline between good and evil. I think with us being your friends we balance you out a lot. So when you are not talking to one of us it pushes you further away. I think we are all your Saving Grace; Fred, George, Lee and me, that is."

Roman smiled at her as she tried to keep control of her emotions. "Thank you, Celes." She whispered. "Thank you for always caring for me. It means more than you think. So, thank you."

Celes smiled up at her as they walked.

"Here, wear my sweater," Lee said as he pulled off his sweater and handed it to Roman.

"No, I'm fine." Roman declined.

"No, you are not, you are freezing!" He told her.

Roman rolled her eyes as she handed him some of her bags and pulled on his sweater. "There, happy?" She asked.

"Yes I am."

"Good now, give me back my bags."

"Nope, I am holding them."

"But they are mine!"

"Ro, just keep walking. We are almost there."

Once they were inside Fred and George rushed at them. "So did you get the cream puffs?" George asked.

"What about the taffy?" Fred asked.

"Why are you empty handed?" They asked in unison.

"Because, Lee won't give me back my bags." Roman complained.

They looked at Lee then at Roman, "So, since, he has your bags, does this mean you made up?" George asked.

"Mutiny!" Roman exclaimed. "I can't believe you guys would do this to me? I shouldn't talking to you guys for a whole week!"

"Roman, no!" They both hugged her and squeezed her.

"We just wanted to see you happy again." Fred told her.

"You seemed to always be frowning, you never smiled anymore."

"We felt like divorced kids!"

"We don't want to be divorced kids!"

Roman laughed as she hugged them, "You are so silly. I said I shouldn't talk to you guys for a week, but I can never do that. You would be lost without me."

"Hey, we managed just fine without you." Fred said indignantly.

"You couldn't manage without us." George added.

Lee laughed, "I agree with them, I don't think you could have lasted without us."

"Again with the mutiny, I can't believe you guys." She said as she started to walk off. They all laughed and followed her as they picked on her.

Kevin stood watching them walk away. Ever since Lee had walked in the Three Broomsticks with Roman, he had completely ignored him. Matter of fact he was ignored before then. Lee had been in a whole depressed daze ever since Roman found out about them. Sure when they had met up after supper, they had private time but there was no talking. No words what so ever. Yeah sure they had a physical relationship and it was great but there was never really any talking. He growled as he crossed his arms. He was going to have Lee weather Roman liked it or not. It was going to be a hard lesson that she was going to learn.

That night after supper as everyone was evacuated back to the Great Hall to sleep. Word had spread that Sirius Black had tried to get into the Gryffindor tower but the Fat Lady refused to let him in without a password so he attacked the painting she was in. Dumbledore had sent the professors out to check the castle and make sure everything was safe.

As Roman was getting ready to snuggle between the twins for the night he had requested that she follow him. They made their way to one of the towers. When they got outside to the top of the roof Dumbledore looked around until he felt it was a safe spot.

"Now, Miss McTaggert, I need something that only your talents can do." He told her.

Roman rubbed her arms to keep whatever heat in them, "What do you need, Professor?"

"I need you to seek out Sirius Black's presence that is if he is still here."

She nodded and sat down on the cold stone ground, "This might take some time." She told him as she tried to stop herself from shivering. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. She had block out her need to try to warm herself. She blocked out her emotions. When she was calm mind, body, and soul she released her energy like a sonic boom. It went out into the castle to every nook and cranny; she found every secret passage tunnel, and secret room. She knew where the professors were, and the students. She knew where every pet crawled, flew, scurried, prowled, and slept. She also ventured into the Forbidden Forest and lightly touched the minds of the creatures. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Everyone was there and accounted for. She ventured further away from Hogwarts and paused.

Just outside of Hogwarts were figures that floated around. They seemed to float aimlessly but it was as she studied them further she noticed they floated around in rotation with negative feelings. It was as if they were taking turns feeding. All of a sudden they somehow locked onto Roman and floated towards her. The closer they got ice fingers seemed to claw at her. She retreated back into the boundaries of Hogwarts. The hissed in anger as they tried to enter and get to her.

Roman shuttered as a hissing starting to become louder. She frowned as she tried to examine what these creatures were. But the hissing sound was becoming louder and louder. She whimpered as she tried to pull back further but she found she was stuck and it hit her. This hissing sound was the hissing of the shucking they were doing. Panicked she tried to pull back again but they were too strong and they had a good hold of her.

She screamed in terror as she tried to pull away again, a ripping sound was made and Roman screamed in pain. She huddled into a ball and tried to become as small as possible. Darkness closed in around her as well as the cold. Every now and then she could feel something brush up against her as if those things were floating around their robes were brushing against her. She whimpered and tried to make herself even smaller.

"Roman." A cold chilly voice called to her.

"Roman, come to us." Another cold voice called out.

"You belong with usssss." The last one hissed.

"Butterfly?" a warm voice called. "Butterfly, don't go."

Roman whimpered again as the cold beard down on her.

"Butterfly, come back."

"I can't." she whimpered.

"Yes you can, now back."

"I'm scared to move."

"Roman." The chilly voice called. "You can't go."

"Butterfly!" The warm voice grew stronger. "Come back, now!" It demanded.

Roman felt herself slam back into her body. A shuttering breath entered her body. As she slowly opened her eyes she saw Professor Dumbledore in her line of vision. She moaned as she tried to sit up but then pain sliced through her. She laid back down. Slowly she raised a hand over her side and brought it to her face. Blood coated her hand. She looked at Dumbledore and noticed he was saying something but she couldn't hear what he was saying.

Dumbledore scooped her into his arms and she moaned in pain. He quickly walked down stairs and halls until they were in the hospital wing. She was laid in a bed and then soon Madam Pomfrey came into Roman's view, she said something but again she didn't hear anything she said. She frowned as she felt like the world around her was shaking. Was there an earthquake? Someone needs to help the others get out if that is the case.

Roman tried to sit up but someone held her down. There was a little flash of light and all at once her hearing rushed to her in loud volumes.

"The Essence of Dittany will heal her wounds but this splinching is deeper than that." Madam Pomfrey said.

"S-s-s-stop s-s-s-shaking m-m-me." Roman stuttered.

"The poor thing is in shock." Pomfrey said as she moved quickly over her.

Professor Dumbledore came into her vision, "Miss McTaggert, breathe deeply."

Roman frowned, "I-I-I-I am b-b-b-b-breathing."

Madam Pomfrey pushed Dumbledore, "Here, drink this." She told Roman as she raised her head and tilted a potion to her mouth.

Roman coughed at the horrid taste and tried to push it away.

"No, you have to drink it all." She told her as she pushed it closer.

When Roman drank it all she pushed the cup away and coughed, she laid back down and the shaking started to go away. Roman fought to keep her eyes open but soon the darkness slowly started to take over her. "No," she moaned right before she pasted out.

Lee panted as he laid in his sleeping bag. He needed to get to Roman, but Percy and the other Head Boys and Girls all stood watch. He slowly rolled over onto his stomach looking around when Headmaster Dumbledore came in talking to Professor Snape. From what he could gather the castle was now secured and Sirius Black was nowhere to be found. Dumbledore stood just above them and slowly knelt down.

"She is in the hospital wing, isn't she?" Lee asked in a whisper. "How bad is it?"

"She is in good hands, if you would like to see her, arouse Miss Diggory, and Mr. Fred and George Weasley and I will take you to her." He whispered.

Lee quickly rolled over to Fred and George and shook them up, "Come on, Ro is hurt." He whispered.

They quickly got up and kicked off their sleeping bag.

Lee gently shook Celes away, "Cel, get up, its Ro." He told her.

Cel bolted up right and bumped her head against Lee. They both moaned as they held their heads. "Where is she?" she asked.

"Dumbledore is going to take us to her." Lee told her.

A few moments later they were in the hospital wing. Celes rubbed Roman's hair out of her face, "Ro, Ro, wake up." She whispered.

"What happened?" Lee asked Dumbledore.

"I am not too certain." Dumbledore said. "Madam Pomfrey has given her a potion to relax her. She has been sleeping for a few hours now. Most of the potion will have been worn off by now."

"Ro," Celes rubbed Roman's head.

Roman moaned and fluttered her eyes. She focused her blurry vision on Dumbledore and slightly shook her head no at his silent question. She looked up at Celes and gave her a little smile. "Celes." She closed her eyes and then looked back at her, "If I were to say I was hurt really bad, could I have my 5 day sugar high?"

Celes pushed back Romans hair and smiled. "We can think about it." She said before Roman drifted off again. She looked at Dumbledore expectantly to explain.

"She had an overwhelming encounter with the Demetors." He said and Celes nodded grimly looking back at the sleeping Roman.

"How, I understand students passing out and the lot, I nearly do every time I'm around one of those things." Celes said knowing Dumbledore would find the question in it. She could tell he had but she knew he wasn't going to say how.

"Let us leave that to Roman to tell. She is fine for now. Leave her and we will come back to her. Celes simply nodded and then got up looked directly at Lee and Fred.

"Take shifts I think; come get me when you've decided to switch out." She said to Fred as if he would be second. "And please, please, please do not forget to eat.!" She said leaned over kissed the sleeping Roman on the head then headed out of the hospital wing. She headed straight for the common room to grab a notebook and start working on a way to heal Roman.

She didn't encounter anyone, shockingly. When she retrieved her notebook she was crowded by Hermione. She made a quick excuse after reassuring her that Roman would be fine. Celes hurried through the corridors trying not to think too much and hoping Flitch or Mrs. Norris wouldn't encounter her. But to her shock she only found Harry Potter out and about. He smiled and gave a small wave and approached her.

"Celes we need to talk about what happened in Diagon Ally, I know Roman is in the Hospital Wing but please." Harry said grabbing her hand. She nodded and led him to a corridor that was poorly lit so they were less likely to be seen.

"What are you doing out and about anyways?" she asked softly looking up at him.

"Erm, talking with Professor Lupin." He said softly back. "Besides, that's not why we are talking."

"Okay, why have you been giving my brother's girlfriend googly eyes since school started even though you did kiss me in Florish and Blotts." Celes asked planting one hand on her hip and staring him out through her bangs and over her glasses.

"You shouldn't look over your glasses like that." He said and Celes's eyes narrowed at him. "She's pretty. I think I fancy her a bit…and hello what about the whole thing with you and Blaise Zabini!" he asked.

"Alright, alright." Celes said blushing deeply. "Look now is not a good time I'm worked up cause Roman is in the Hospital Wing and I don't know what's wrong with her, thus the healing notebook." She said waving it. She wasn't going to cry, although she felt like she would crack open at any moment. Suddenly Harrys harsh look faded and he awkwardly put his arm around her shoulders.

"Why do you feel like you have to heal her?' he asked softly leading her to a stone bench.

"Have you seen what I can do when it comes to healing?" she asked only half boasting.

"Er…no sorry. You're good then?" he asked.

"That's what people tell me." She sighed leaning into his chest feeling the familiar security wash over her. She seemed to always feel this way when she was around Harry Potter; it had started last year when suddenly she was his friend and spending a lot of time with him. Then this summer in Diagon Ally. Celes blushed again and looked up at Harry.

"You'll figure it out though." Harry said smiling and he looked down at her. Suddenly Celes became very aware of how close Harry's face was to her own, shed just have to reach up a little and…

He kissed her at that point, nothing super special just his lips against hers. She felt her whole body melt into him and fly away. Harry Potter was what she wanted. She went to deepen the kiss when someone cleared their throat. Celes pulled away blush flaming up her cheeks to her ears, curse her Weasley genes. She looked over to find her older brother and his girlfriend Cho standing there. She pulled away from Harry, slowly, and gave one of her famous half smiles.

"Hey…" she said waving.

"Urm, Celes I wanted to come and check if you were okay." Cedric said smiling a little.

"Apparently she's fine, why don't we go Cedric?" Cho said grabbing his hand to lead him away.

"No!" Celes said a little to desperately. She looked at Harry. "Not that I'm not liking this but I got to talk to Ced before these ideas go away."

"No, go. Ill uh… be here if you need me." Harry said with a smile and she nodded. Cho gave a huffy look at her but let go of Cedric's hand and Celes looped her arm around his and she and Cedric walked off towards the astronomy tower.

After walking for quite a while because it was so far from where they had been Cedric turned to Celes and gave her a very serious look.

"You're 13 live a little be kid for just a little while longer!" he said taking her shoulders.

"I can't help my natural way." Celes said backing away from him. "I'm falling for him, and not just him. I'm not going to be a kid for much longer, technically I'm not." She pointed out to him and he deflated, sighed and turned away to go over and sit down. She followed him and slid down next to him.

"Look I didn't ask to stay with you to talk about that I have a real problem. I need to heal Roman or whatever has happened to her will be permanent." Celes said

"Yeah I heard she was in the hospital but no one know what has happened to her. Dumbledore wants you to heal her. Celes you're a third year." He said looking at his sister pointedly. She gave him an irritated look then nodded.

"Dumbledore says I'm a natural. I think I have a rough idea." She said opening her notebook the two leaned over it and worked for three hours on the spell and potion that would heal Roman.

The next morning Celes walked into the hospital wing carrying a coldron and the ingredients she had asked her uncle for. She smiled down at a now awake Roman.

"I think I've got it but to be sure you need to explain what happened." She said.

Roman frowned, "I'm fine. See," she patted her own head and rubbed her stomach at the same time. "Nothing to it; healthy as a horse." She winced in pain and put her arms down. "Nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, sure. Now tell me what happened."

She sighed as she closed her eyes, "I was spiritually splinched."

"I figured that part out, but how."

Roman looked around and lowered her voice, "You remember when I told you my dad has me training during the summer? Well, as part of my training I have to develop the powers I was born with. I have the ability to seek out a person's spiritual presence. Before you say anything, Professor Dumbledore didn't make me do anything and I am pretty damn good at it. I just wasn't prepared for the Dementors."

Celes sat back in her seat and frowned.

"I was looking for Sirius Black, but he was nowhere on Hogwart's property so I went to go past the property line and ran into the Dementors. They got ahold of me and when I tried to pull back my spirit tore." She gave a humorless laugh, "It is surprising how delicate a spirit is. My mother once explained it as fine fabric but once the fabric has been beaten it can be easily ripped unless there is a strong mending then it cannot be torn." She gave another humorless laugh and closed her eyes. "I heard my father healing these wounds before, you have to mend the spirit by letting your spirit seek out mine, you have to empty your mind and let your mind, body, and soul become one, just like how I have been making you guys meditate for your shift. But be warned, Celes. Once you have entered my spirit, you may become a little sensitive to others but it will go away over time."

Celes nodded and stepped forward. Then Fred and Lee who had been silent during Romans story stepped forward and said at the same time.

"Why are you getting to do it?" they asked in unison. She gave them a pointed stare.

"Because I am the healer, you gits." She said sitting down on the bed next to Roman and pulling out a bottle and un-stoppered it.

"You'll need to drink this down. I spec it will taste fowl so I'm sorry for that in advanced." She said with a half smiled handing it to Roman who downed it in one gulp.

Then Celes leaned her four head onto Romans and allowed the girl to do the rest.

Celes felt her mind wander off and when she was next aware of what was going on she didn't only hear her own voice.

"This is unity." Roman said sounding so grown up and like a medicine woman in the books Celes read about Muggle Native Americans.

"This is amazing." She whispered.

"Come on Celes it's not a sightseeing tour get on with it." Roman said laughter in her voice.

"Fine." Celes said and then she began to chant the healing spell for deep lacerations all the while she could feel Romans spirit around her and within her. It was nearly overwhelming. And then suddenly it felt like something was fighting her. What was going on she felt her entire chest seize and when she opened her eyes she was on the ground next to Romans bed with Fred leaning over her worry in his eyes.

"You were like that for an hour and then all of a sudden you flew off the bed." He said helping her to sit. She searched out Roman and found her also coming too. Their eyes met, and Celes knew that something had changed.

And then Fred's hand brushed Celes' arm and she cringed as a flash of him touching Romans cheek tenderly happened. Then she stood quickly and went to her side.

"Did it work?" she asked.

"I think it did." She said with a half grin and then Fred was there doing exactly what Celes had 'Seen' him do only minutes ago. _What the hell?_ She thought moving to sit on another bed feeling slightly dizzy.

"Are you okay Celes?" Roman asked.

"Oh yes, just disoriented. I think I'll head to bed now. I'll check in on you tomorrow. Good night all." She said swiftly leaving, not even bothering to grab her bag.

When Celes made it back to the tower she fell into her bed fully clothed and fell into a deep dreamless sleep instantly.

The next day Celes awoke to a splitting headache. She groggily sat up and righted her glasses and looked down at her watch and jolted. It was nearly 1200. She had missed her first class of the day. She jumped out of bed and bolted down the stairs straightening her uniform as best she could. She didn't notice when everyone was in the Common Room and bolted out of the portrait and made it to the library when she ran into Blaise. He stopped her grabbing her arms. And she winced again as she felt something go through her arms. She shuddered and looked up at him.

"Tiny, whoa, what's the rush?" he asked giving his traditional half grin.

"I'm late for class" she said in a rush and Blaise smiled at her then.

"Celes it's Sunday." He said softly and Celes deflated. "Are you alright" he asked again.

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry yourself Blaise." She smiled and he slipped something off his arm.

"You left this yesterday, Roman asked me to get it back to you when I went to visit." He said with a smile.

She smooched her lips together and took the bag their hands brushing then a flash of him kissing her happened and she was so shocked she stumbled back from him.

"Celes?" he asked again as Miranda walked up followed closely by Neville.

"I'm fine; I'm going to go see Roman." She said stumbling away from them. She heard Miranda ask what was going on.

Roman sat in her hospital bed looking at the gifts that were there for her. She was a little surprised that a lot of students gave her 'get well' gifts. She didn't think she was that noticeable. She wanted to sit up and reach for one but she was still too sore to move. She sighed as she tried to concentrate through the headache that was thudding in her head. Ever since she woke up it had been pounding in her head. She knew it wasn't her headache she was feeling but Celes's.

She sighed as she looked over towards the door of the hospital wing. It was strange but ever since they connected she could feel more of Celes as if she was they were one. But then again it made sense because they were basically one now. She was weaved into her spirit as much as Roman was weaved into Celes.

The hospital doors opened and Roman knew it was Celes. She wasn't able to see due to the partition that gave Roman privacy but she felt her. When Celes rounded the partition she was nearly in tears. Right away Roman knew what was wrong. Without a word she lifted her blanket and motioned for her to climb into the bed next to her. Celes sniffed as kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed. Roman covered them up and held Celes close. She allowed her breathing and her calm heartbeat sooth her. Celes was feeling everything. It was as strong as when Roman had first started at Hogwarts but she was feeling everyone's present. It was part of Roman's powers. And without proper training it could be overbearing and cause physical pain.

"Come here Cel Bear."

"It's strange." Celes finally said. "I feel so strange. It's like everyone around is touching me and I feel so dirty. I see what their next actions are going to be and… and its weird."

Roman ran her fingers through her hair.

"Yesterday when we connected I saw Fred touch your cheek tenderly before he did it and then he did do it. I don't think this is normal. I saw a few classmates sneaking around so they could snog and then a few halls down I actually saw them sneaking around."

Roman smiled to herself and Celes sat up indignantly. "Don't laugh at me. This is serious."

"I'm sorry. It is serious."

Celes smiled and shook her head. "You are laughing at me."

"Okay, I'm laughing at you, but its kind of cute, cause you are kind of scandalized by it."

"I am scandalized by it because I didn't want to know some of these things…" Celes paused. "Roman, can you see the future?"

Roman scoffed, "Yeah right! No one can see the future. It always changes. That is one of the reason's why I am not in Divination. That is so fake."

"But you do know, there are some people that can catch glimpses of the future."

"That is true, but I can't. There is no way I can."

"But since yesterday have been having glimpses of things that are going to happen and they happen. and you said that I would be a little sensitive to others."

"No, I meant you would be a little sensitive to other people's presence, not see the future." She smiled.

Roman was speaking the truth but Celes felt as if there was a subject that was connected that was not being said and Roman was keeping far away from it. Not wanting to press her any further she laid back down and allowed Roman to comfort her. It was strange to want to be so close to her. The last time she felt like this was when she and Draco started before school. She sighed and closed her eyes.

Foot steps ran into the hospital wing around noon. Roman was finally able to sit up and look through her gifts with the help of Celes. They chatted over everything that seemed to come to mind. Roman read each card and Celes took notes of the people that sent her gifts. Then she left to go get them both some lunch.

"Hey! Are you supposed to be sitting up?" Fred asked as he appeared from around the partition along with George and Lee.

"You should be getting more rest." Lee told her.

"I'm fine." Roman told them as she frowned.

"But you are still pale." George told her.

"No I'm not." Roman told them. "I need to take names of the people that sent me gifts."

"We can do that for you." Lee and Fred said in unison.

"You needs to rest." George pointed out.

"Thank you for your concern but I have been resting all day yesterday, the day before and today." Roman told them.

"Butterfly," Lee began.

"Lee if you tell me to sit back and relax I swear I am going to bite you."

"Ro," Fred started.

"Fred, no wait. Where is my wand. I'm going to use the binding spell on you guys. I am fine, now leave me alone!" she growled at them.

"Ro, I think you should lay down." George told her.

"If you guys don't leave me alone I'm going to scream!"

Someone cleared their throat and Roman looked up and Lee and Fred turned to see Cedric Diggory standing at the end of the bed. Roman's eyebrows shot up in surprise while Fred and Lee frowned at him. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No, not at all." Roman told him. "Celes went to get some lunch if you are looking for her."

"No, actually I came to see how you are doing."

"Really?"

"Why?" Fred and George asked in unison.

Lee just crossed his arms over his chest as he stood closer to the bed.

"Well, I heard you got hurt and Celes was worried and I wanted to give you a 'get well' gift."

"Oh, thank you, but I'm fine…"

"No you are not!" Fred interrupted as he turned to her. "You need to lay down and get some more rest."

"You annoying little git! You need to sit down and leave me alone." Roman frowned. "Now don't be rude. Let Cedric have a seat. He came all this way to see me."

The twins frowned as they moved to the other side with Lee.

Cedric chuckled as he took a seat next to the bed. "So, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Oh, I am doing better," she frowned again when the boys made a sound to disagree with her.

Roman smiled when she felt Celes walk into the hospital wing and round the corner. She smiled when she saw her brother.

"Cedric, its good to see you."

"Hi, Celes." he greeted with a hug.

Celes set a tray of food on the nightstand next to Roman.

"I was just telling Roman how much I miss watching her cause trouble around Hogwarts."

Fred and George snorted as the frowned at Cedric.

Roman flutter her eyelashes and smiled at him, "Do you really?" she asked sweetly.

Celes giggled as she saw Fred, George, and Lee's face turn to disgust. She nudged Cedric and winked at him.

He smiled and then smiled back at Roman, "Oh, very much. I don't know what I'm going to do if I don't see you at least once a day flashing your pretty smile.

"Oh, stop, you embarrass me." she teased.

"Yes, please stop." Fred said dryly.

"Just for you, Ceddy, I will get better."

"Oh, don't rush yourself. I want to make sure you are in perfect health before you come back." He picked up her hand and placed a small kiss upon it.

"You know what I noticed, Ceddy; you don't mind me calling you Ceddy, do you?"

"Not at all,"

"Well, I noticed that Ceddy rhymes with Teddy, you don't mind if I call you Teddy from now on, do you?"

"Whatever makes you feel better."

Celes covered her smile as she saw Fred turn almost as red as his flaming hair. George looked as if he was going to puke and Lee sneered at him.

Roman giggled.

Cedric smiled and pulled out a rather large box, "Heard that you like sweets but you don't like anything with the flavor of pumpkins so I got you a box of Chocoballs. They are fill with strawberry mouse and clotted cream."

She smiled and she set the box on her lap, "Thank you very much, Teddy."

"Well, I do hope you feel better soon." He gave her hand one more kiss and then he left.

Roman fanned herself with her hand. "Oh, my God. Cedric Diggory came and visited me and gave me Chocoballs. Celes, I know he is your brother, but I think I'm in love."

Celes laughed out loud as Lee, Fred, and George all looked at Roman in disgust.

"Give me that box." Fred said as he reached for them.

"No!" Roman said as she moved the box out of his reach. "Teddy gave them to me and I'm going to eat them."

"The bloody hell you are." George said as he also reached for them.

"NO!" she screamed.

"Fred! George!" Celes scolded as she pushed them off of her. "She is still in the hospital wing, you can't jump on her like that."

"That's ri… Hey!" Roman squealed as Lee took the box out of her. "Give those back!"

"I will buy you a new and bigger box." Lee told her.

Roman frowned. She was torn between wanting the box Cedric gave her and having a bigger box.

Celes took the box out of Lee's hand. "If you want to give a box of Chocoballs that is bigger then giver her a biggre box but she is keeping this one."

Lee looked at Celes in surprised, "Celes…"

"I don't want to hear it, my brother gave her this and it was a gift. You guys can't take it away from her."

Roman nodded her head. "That's right. They were a gift!"

The boys all groaned in frustration.

"No go away, you are tiring Roman out."

"But…"

"No buts, Fred."

Lee frowned down at Roman as she frowned at him. There was a strange look in his eyes that sent a little chill of excitement through her. He cupped her face and looked her in the eye then kissed her forehead. "Fine, keep the box. But I am going to get you something better." He told her.

Fred rolled his eyes then kissed her on the cheek, " _We_ , will get you something way better than Cedric Diggory will ever give you."

George kissed her on the other cheek, "No offense Celes, but Diggory is git."

"Hey!" Celes and Roman said in unison.

"He isn't a git, you bloody idiot!" Roman defended.

"He is a gentleman and is acting way better than any of you guys." Celes added. She glared at them as they all rolled there eyes, grumbled something, and then walked out the hospital wing. She turned and looked at Roman whom had the same look she had. They looked at each other and then fell out laughing.

"Did you see there faces?" Roman smiled.

"I have never seen Fred turn that red before."

"That was priceless!"

"Here, give me the box. You need to eat before you have any sweets." Celes told her as she set the box aside and picked up the tray of food.

"Celes,"

"Huh?"

"Can I have my five day sugar high, now?"

Celes frowned as she gave Roman a plate of food. "No,"

"But…"

She raised her hand and stopped Roman from objecting, "You have plenty of sweets and candy to last you until the end of the year. You do not need a five day sugar high."

"But I was hurt and you should have pity on me and let me have a five day sugar high."

"No way are you going to have a five day sugar high on my watch."

"Draco is basically getting away from a scratch that is healed why can't I have my five day sugar high."

"Because I said so."

Roman pouted, "That's not fair."

Celes smiled, she knew what Roman really wanted and it wasn't sweets. She just wanted more of Celes's attention and motherly care. She cupped Roman's face and rubbed her nose against hers and kissed her on the forehead, "I said no and that is final."

Roman turned a little pink, "I'm not a little kid." she grumbled as she started to eat her food.

"Oh, you love it when i fuss over you."

"Well, its better than having the boy's fussing over me."

Celes laughed and then sighed as she started to eat too. "You know, I really thought Lee was going to kiss you like he was your boyfriend." she told her as she watched her closely.

Roman choked on her food and glared at Celes as she drank down the food that was in her mouth. She didn't know what to say or to do for a moment. But the idea of Lee kissing her made her feel a little excited. After she was done drinking her juice she shook her head. "No, Lee don't like me in that way. I already told you that."

"You know, Lee and Kevin had been having arguments."

Roman wrinkled her nose she didn't like the subject of Lee and Kevin being together but then again, she was curious about there relationship. There was always a little part of her that held on to a chance that maybe they would be together and she hated that part of her. It was stupid, she knew that Lee was gay and there was not chance for her.

"I really don't care. It's Lee's life, he can mess it up anyway he wants."

"Ro, I think he may like you."

"Who?"

"Lee,"

"No way. He is in a relationship with Kevin. Besides why would he get into a relationship with Kevin if he liked me?"

"That is a question that we seem to all be asking."

Roman ate more of her food. She knew why he got into the relationship. Lee had told her he wanted information about her father. In a strange way he did become boyfriends with Kevin for her. But then again, he stayed in the relationship so he obviously like Kevin.

Celes seemed to feel everything that was going through Roman's mind. She felt the shot of excitement and happiness, confusion, self anger, denial, and resolve.

"Lee, doesn't like me in that way. If he did he wouldn't have got into a relationship with Kevin and continue to stay in the relationship."

Celes frowned, "You do have a point about that." and it was going to a point she was to make sure to ask Lee about.

After eating their lunch Celes gave Roman orders to rest as she went to the library to catch up on some homework. Roman had fallen asleep sometime later. Her dreams had seemed to be the same nightmare since her father had visited her except it had a twist at the end with the Dementors hissing at her to join them. Just like the nights before she woke up frozen cold, shivering in fear, and disorientated. She quickly sat up and then held her head as the room started to spin.

"Hey, you shouldn't move so fast." a voice told her as arms wrapped around her to hold her and to keep her steady.

Roman looked up and saw Lee holding her. It must have been his turn to watch over her. She sighed and rested her head closer to his chest. "Where is Celes?" she asked.

"I imagine she back in her dorm sleeping." he told her as he rubbed her arms.

"I'm so cold." she shivered.

"Scoot over." He told her as he started kicking off his shoes. He climbed into the bed next to her and held her close to him.

Roman laid her head on his chest and wrapped herself around him. She wanted to get as close as possible. She wrapped her legs around his leg, her arms around his waste, and pressed her cold nose to his chest. She closed her eyes and took in his scent. He smelled so clean, and sweet, but yet there was a spice to him she also liked.

He took in a deep breath and ran his fingers through her hair. "I want a nick-name." he told her.

"What?"

"I want a nick-name. Celes has a nick-name, Fed and George has a nick-name, you have a nick-name, but I don't have one. I want you to give me a nick-name."

Roman gave a chuckle as she looked up at him, "You do have a nick-name."

"Oh yeah, then what is it?"

"Well, its…" She paused as she thought of one then she frowned. "I… I don't… you really don't have a one, do you."

"See what I mean. I don't have one but Cedric Diggory has one. I want one."

Roman chuckled as she laid her head on his chest. "Well, I'll have to think about it. It has to be good and it will have to fit you."

"Well, by tomorrow, I expect to have one."

"Hey, that is a lot a pressure on me. You can't do that."

"Yes I can. You gave Cedric one not even 5 min of talking to him. You have known me way longer than him."

"You know, the best of things don't need a nick-name. They are named perfectly. So maybe you don't need a nick-name."

"But i want one." He told her with all seriousness.

Roman looked up at him. she felt his hurt that he was trying to hide, but failing to do so. She laced her fingers with his and gently bust her thumb over the markings on his wrist. "How could I rename something that is perfectly named?" If there was anything I could think of, it would be 'Mine.'"

Lee's makings tingled warmly. He felt her concern, shyness, and the warmth of her affection. He smiled as he brought their jointed hands to his mouth. He found he rather enjoyed their intimate moments. It gave him the excuse to touch her as he pleased. And he really did enjoy touching her.

"You are trying to make me feel better, huh?"

"Well, I don't like when you are upset, or any of the others."

"I enjoy that you try to make me feel better, even when you are cheering the others up. It shows you have a good heart."

She giggled as he kissed her fingers, "I know, but," she paused and pointed at him with one of her laced fingers. "You are going to have to be satisfied with this, this time. From now on I have to devote my attention and heart to Cedric Diggory. He is my Teddy Bear and I have to…" Roman trailed off with a squeal.

Lee had quickly pinned her hands above her head and rolled on top of her. "Why in the bloody hell would you give that git your attention?" he growled.

"Because he is nice, handsome, has a nice smile, is charming and is a dream boat." she sighed and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Oh, is that right?"

"Yes, that is right, and I would like to add he doesn't manhandle poor, defensive, sick girls."

"Poor, defensive… I'll show you poor, defensive, and sick!" With one hand he pinned her hands and started tickling her.

Roman squealed and squirmed. she bucked her body and tried to get away from his fingers.

Lee covered her mouth, "Shh! You are going to wake Madam Pomfry."

"You know, if my Cel Bear was here I wouldn't be put through this abuse. Matter of fact you should go get her so that she can protect me."

He scoffed at her, "I should what?"

"Go get Cel Bear so that I can be freed of this abuse."

"Abuse? Oh, its on!" He pulled out his wand and bound her hands with a spell, covered her mouth, and proceeded to tickling her.

She squealed into his hand and tried to jerk away from him as much as she could. All the laughing, squealing, and jerking quickly started to drain her. she used the last of her energy and bucked one last time.

"Hey!" he hissed as he grabbed a hold of her so that he wouldn't fall. When he felt her grow stiff he frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked. He leaned up and looked down to see if he was hurting her but paused to see where his hand was grabbing. He had thought he grabbed her arm but instead he was holding her breast. His mind told him to let go but he just couldn't bring himself to do so. She was surprisingly soft. He was amazed that she was so soft and that she nearly fit in his whole hand. The hardness of her nipple started to poke into his palm. He slid his hand under her breast so that he was cupping it, and allowed his thumb to rub over the hardening nub.

Roman gasped and she had the same strange feeling she had when he looked at her earlier that day. His thumb gently pressed the hard nub and rolled it around. She closed her eyes and gasped. It was strange how her body was reacting to everything. Her breast felt heavy and tingled. She wanted him to touch her fully and also have him touch the other.

Even though Lee still had his hand over her mouth her lips tingled. Her tongue yearned to do something. Then to top it all off, she had a strong need to rub her legs together. She bit her bottom lip as a moan slipped out of her.

As Lee started to remove his hand from her mouth her eyes flew open. She looked at him as she caught his thumb with her lips. She didn't know what she was doing except she needed to tasted him in some way. She gently sucked on his thumb. Her teeth grazed over him and her tongue swirled around it. She moaned again as his other thumbed played with her nipple.

He pulled his thumb out her mouth and caressed her bottom lip. he pressed his forehead to hers and the anticipation grew. Everything seemed to grow quiet. there breathing had grown heavy with anticipation, their bodies grew hot, and the outside world started to fade away.

"Lee!" a voice hissed in anger.

Roman was suddenly hit with confusion. One moment she was hot with Lee's body on hers then all of a sudden she was cold. He was gone from her. It took a while to register on what happened and then she suddenly tried to sit up but was pulled back.

"Owe!" she groaned indigently. She had forgotten that her hands were bound to the bed. "Damn it, Lee!" she growled. "Unbind me."

"Sorry." he whispered as he pulled out his wand and undid the spell. "Are you hurt?"

She frowned up at him as she rubbed her wrist.

"Lee, let's go." the voice hissed again.

Roman tried to sit up again but Lee pushed her back down and covered her with the blankets. "You need to…" he trailed off as she pulled away from him and bared her teeth.

"Get away from me and see to your _boyfriend_."

"Ro…"

"Don't touch me!"

Lee sighed and dropped his hands to his side. "Sorry." he whispered. "Celes will be here soon." He waited for a moment."

"Lee!"

With a sighed he turned and faced Kevin, whom was glaring at him. He pushed passed him and walked out the hospital wing with Kevin close behind. He didn't want to be in Kevin's presence. he wanted to be left alone. He want to lay and think about everything that had just happened. He wanted to think about how soft Roman's body was; and not just her breast, but her legs, and lips.

She was beautiful. The way her body reacted to him was beautiful. The beauty of everything was that he knew she didn't know how exotic she looked and that her movement was encouraging him to go one. She had arched into him to encourage him to go on. Her legs had rubbed against his as her hips rolled against his. From under his hand he had felt her bite her lower lip. He had wanted to see. He had wanted to see everything. When he had removed his hand she caught his thumb with her lips and sucked on it. Roman had given him a moan so sweet he needed to hear it again. The first time he had barley heard it. He rolled her nipple again and it was rewarded with her beautiful moan. Her sound cut him through his gut and down to his lower half. He needed to hear it again, but this time he wanted to taste her soft lips and capture her sound with his mouth.

"Lee!"

Lee groaned at being interrupted in his thoughts. "What?" he snapped.

"You know what. What the bloody hell was that?"

"Forget about it."

Kevin grabbed Lee's arm and turned him around. "You are still my boyfriend."

"Leave it alone, Kevin. And leave me alone."

"No, we need to talk about this."

"No, we do not."

"You were snogging her, Lee!"

"No I was not."

"Don't lie to me. I saw you with my own eyes."

"What you saw, was us talking."

"I hear her moaning!"

"She is non of your business, so drop it."

"You are my business and by you snogging her , make her my business."

"Fine, we are no longer a couple."

Kevin gasped and took a step back, "Lee,"

"Kevin, don't make this into a big thing."

"Don't make this into a big thing? Don't make this into a big thing? You are breaking up with me, and you are telling me not to make this into a big deal?"

"You knew what you were getting into." Lee shrugged.

Kevin slapped him hard.

Lee grabbed his arm and pushed him against the wall. "You knew the terms and conditions. You agreed to them. You were the one that ignored it and decided to become blissfully blind to it just as long as you had me by your side you didn't care if I was happy or not just as long as you could show me off to your friends and took care of your needs."

"Let go of me!" Kevin pushed Lee and ran away.

Lee ran his hand through his dreadlocks and pulled on them in frustration. He was released from Kevin but now Roman was upset with him. "Why do I do this to myself?" with a heavy sigh he walked back to the Com Room.

Two days had passed since the night Lee and touched her, and Roman felt even more confused. Celes had felt her frustration and had tried to get her to talk about it but she would only change the subject.

Roman sighed as she sat on a bench and watched Fred and George showing a Hufflepuff student some of their creations. Lee seemed to be avoiding her, which was fine with her since Kevin kept giving her the evil eye all thought class. She figured the rumors she had heard about him and Lee breaking up was true. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't care what they do." she told herself. It had became a mantra she had to keep repeating to herself.

"We need to talk."

Roman looked up and then rolled her eyes at Kevin.

"We have nothing to talk about."

"You were snogging my boyfriend."

"She laughed, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You were kissing him. I caught you."

Roman leaned back against the stone wall behind her, crossed her arms over her chest, and crossed her legs. "You didn't catch us kissing. You walked in on use exchanging energy."

"What?"

"Its magic beyond your intelligence."

"He is mine, so leave him alone."

"No, you are wrong. He belongs to me. As does Fred, George, and Celes. They all belong to me, and I will do as I please with them and to them."

Kevin sneered at her. "You…"

Roman cut him off as she grabbed a hold of his hand. "Kevin, give up on Lee." she told him as she used her power on him. "Just remember he was never yours. He was and will always be mine."

He absently nodded.

"Now be a good little boy and leave us alone. Oh, and never speak to us again."

"Roman!" Lee hissed.

Roman looked up at Lee and frowned. Kevin pulled away Roman.

"I don't care what you two do or not do, but I'm never speaking to either of you again." with that said he walked away.

"What did you do?" Lee growled.

"I gave him a gift." she shrugged. "You told him it was over, I gave him the resolve to move on."

"You can't do that to people!"

"Yes I can and I just did. Why are you upset?"

"Because," he hissed.

Roman frowned and stood up she shook her head in confusion and walked away.

"Roman, wait."

She didn't wait nor did she want to hear what he had to say. Everything seemed to confused her. Lee was confusing her. First he touched her and had her feeling maybe there could be more between them. Then he chose to follow Kevin instead of sending him away. Then the school began to buzz about their break-up. It gave her more hope that maybe they could be together and when she gave Kevin the resolve of moving on, Lee yelled at her.

Confused, hurt, and angry with herself she walked away. she needed Celes when a though hit her. What if Lee actually liked Kevin and she over stepped the line? But then why would he touch her like he did? Was it because he wanted to know if he felt the same with her as he did with Kevin? And why couldn't she sense anyone when he was around? It was as if he demanded her attention and she gave into it so easily. Then there were times he looked at her and it felt as if it were only him and her.

Roman growled in frustration as she turned the corner and saw Celes smiling and talking to Blaize. He smiled at her and leaned a little too close to Celes. Roman frowned, her need to be next to Celes grew stronger along with the feeling of stacking her claim on her. If she couldn't have Lee, she was going to make sure she kept Celes.

Roman walked over and Celes seemed to brighten. "Roman!" she greeted.

"Hi, Roman. I'm glade you are feeling better." Blaise smiled as he took a step away from Celes.

"What's wrong, Ro-ro?" Celes asked with concern.

Roman stepped between them, cupped Celes' face gently and kissed her. It wasn't a simple peck on the cheek or lips. It was a real kiss. She slipped her tongue into her mouth for a real taste. After she had her fill she gently nipped her bottom lip. When she stepped back Celes' lips looked slightly swollen and she looked to be in a daze.

Roman looked over her shoulder at Blaise and smirked at him. When she saw Lee down the hall watching in shocked, she walked away.

Celes just stood there starring after her best friend in shock. _Roman just kissed me, dear Merlin._ Her hand traveled to her lips and traced them, they were swollen. She looked up at Blaise and he was as shocked as she was. It had been weeks since someone had kissed her. After she had healed Roman she had withdrawn from the whole Harry ordeal because it became to hard to be around him. All he ever thought about was jumping her now, and she didn't want that. It wasn't about just being physically with someone for her.

And then in her down time while Roman was still in the hospital wing she found she was spending more time with Blaise. She thought he would be the next one to kiss her, not Roman. She saw Lee's retreating back, muttering a goodbye to Blaise she grabbed her bag and dashed after Lee.

"Oy, Lee, wait." she called and the boy didn't slow. "Please." she said desperately.

He whirled around and looked very angry at her. She stepped back. "What do you want Celes?" he snapped eyes dark.

"You do love her." Celes said matter of factly. He blinked looking confused.

"What?" he asked still angry.

"Lee you're in love with Roman!" she said stepping forward.

"Yes well, she's not in love with me. She just kissed you in front of the whole bloody world." he said sounding less angry.

"I...yes she did...but she loves you. I can feel it." Celes said touching her lips again, they were still swollen. She blushed again.

"Do you love Roman?" he asked her softly.

"Yes, but not like that. Look, it was shocking that she kissed me, but Lee, when I healed her I melded with her mind, body, and soul; we were connected. Maybe she feels like she needs to stake her claim on me _because_ of that connection." she said pacing.

"You sound like a damned healer now." Lee said grabbing her hand to stop her pacing. She looked at him, this boy she considered family. He looked so crushed and broken she wanted to cry. She cupped his cheek and smiled at him.

"Its going to work out Lee, I promise," then the flash hit so fast it nearly made her fall over. Lee and Roman in the hospital wing on the bed, Kevin finding them. When it ended she stepped away. "You broke up with him for her." she whispered and Lee gave her a confused look.

"Celes are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine." she said stepping even farther away from him. She needed this to stop happening. I uh...have to go." she said and took off back towards where she left Blaise. He was still there talking with Draco. Celes groaned internally and approached them.

"Draco can I borrow Blaise for a bit. I promise to return him soon." she said sweetly.

"You know Diggory? No. You cant." he said with hostility and Celes looked at her former best friend with a shocked expression. "Oh wipe away that look you know as well as i do that we stopped being friends along time ago."

Tears prickled her eyes as she stood up taller. "I though we had moved past all that. I guess i was mistaken. You know what Blaise I'll see you tomorrow." she said turning to go.

"Celes, i can walk you back to the tower." Blaise said touching her arm showing her that elusive kiss she had been seeing ever since her meld with Roman. she smiled up at him through her tears and shook her head.

"No no, ill be fine. I have to find Roman anyways." she said and couldn't help blushing involuntarily again.

"But you sounded as if you wanted to talk. I can ditch Malfoy its no problem." Blaise said looking back at an angry looking Draco.

Celes smiled softly and touched his cheek. "No that alright ill catch up with you tomorrow maybe during Muggle Studies." she said and set off before he could say more.

She was in Gryffindor tower five minutes later where she located Roman sitting in front of the fire, brooding. She went over and sat down next to her friend and instantly felt Romans guilt and anger and confusion.

"Whats going on?" she asked softly, rubbing Romans back.

"I don't know." she told her with tears in her eyes. "I feel so out of control and I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

"Well okay, lets start slow or all in I suppose. What happened between you and Lee? The word around the corridors is that he broke up with Kevin." Celes said nudging her gently towards the gleaned vision from Lee.

Roman glared at her, "This is all your fault now that I think about it. You were the one that told me he like me. You put it in my head and everything has gone wrong. I don't know what is going on and I think I may have done something to Kevin and Lee was most likely the one that didn't break up with him. Oh, God! I don't know!" she got up and started pacing.

Celes watched her pace and then grabbed her hand and led Roman to sit down again. "First of all, a blind person could see that boy is smitten with you. I could tell without all these funky abilities I have since we merged. And second what did you do to Kevin. And remember to breath or you'll hyperventilate and pass out and that all I need." Celes said rubbing Romans back again.

She took in a deep breath and looked at her best friend. "I… Kevin came to me and wanted to talk. Telling me that I need to stay away from Lee. What stupid nonsense is that? I mean we basically live together and we are best friends I can't stay away from Lee… even if I tried." she muttered the last part to herself. "So…" she bit her bottom lip. "Damn it I know the cat is out of the bag. I used my powers to… you know… make him go away."

"Okay that little bitch, and make him go away how? He's not like lying in a ditch somewhere is he?" Celes asked a little worried.

Roman gave her an indignant look. "I wouldn't do that… well… now that I think about it. Maybe I would. However, no. I just sped up Kevin's grieving process and he basically is done with Lee."

"Okay… so what went down in the hospital wing? And what was that bloody kiss about?" Celes demanded.

Roman ducked her head and blushed. "The hospital wing thing was nothing. I'm sorry… no wait. I'm not sorry about the kiss. You are mine and Blaise can't have you. We are soul-mates."

"When did you become Anti-Blaise? You were his friend." Celes said a little confused. "and Soul-mates?"

"We are connected mind, body, and soul. And the British word for friend is mate. So therefore we are soul-mates. Blaise is okay, but he should know you are mine and he needs to respect that too."

"Okay I'm nobody's property. I'm your friend I'm your best friend but I should be free to date whom I like Ro. I don't walk around staking claim on you to the twins and Lee do I?" Celes asked she sat back and pulled her long red hair back into a messy bun.

"Maybe you should then I wouldn't be in this mess." She grumbled.

Celes gave a little laugh. "That won't fix things. It sounds like this problem is stemming from your feelings for Lee and his for you." Celes said feeling her pain. "Please stop beating yourself up Ro." She said eyes filling with tears. "Well Merlin you're making me cry with all this damn guilt."

"I'm sorry. I'm not use to sharing my emotions with anyone like this." She paused and sighed. "I have to forget about Lee. We... its too much and I can't handle it."

"I think love will find a way. But if that's what you need to step away from him then you should. At least for now. I will help in any way I can with that." Celes said wiping her eyes.

"The problem is I don't think I can. Every time he is around he demands my attention. He seems to block everything around. When he looks at me their are times I feel he..." she blushed as the image of what happened in the hospital wing started flooding back. When he left that night her body ached and demanded things from her she wasn't sure she understood.

Celes blushed as well. "If you're not ready for that yet then don't do it yet. It's a big step." Celes said she only knew about all this stuff because she read so many books. "We could talk about you know sex... If that's the problem..." She tried blushing furiously. "I've read all about it. With a guy, with girls... Erm by yourself" she laughed nervously.

Roman bit her lip and took a deep breath. She turned to Celes. "Will you..." she cleared her throat and blushed. "Will you show me how? I mean when I kissed you, it wasn't bad, was it?"

"No, that was good..." She swallowed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Really good actually. Better than Harry and I'm not going to say I didn't feel a little lusty when you did it." Celes said lowering her voice. "What um... Do you want to be shown? I've only done the snogging groping bits and..." she blushed deeply. "Self pleasure."

"You are my first snog. Lee touched my chest but we didn't kiss." She blushed deeply. She wanted to know more but she didn't want to make Celes uncomfortable. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Maybe I should ask Fred."

"Not really uncomfortable and don't ask Fred he's a boy what do boys know? I had to teach Harry how to kiss." She said wrinkling her nose. She giggled a little and then sat back. "Ask me anything. Although if you're more comfortable you can experiment with Fred."

 _What could it really hurt. We are already connected. But I'm already territorial._ "I love you Cel, I think I will only become even more territorial if we experiment on each other. I think if you educate me I'll use Fred to experiment with."

"Good plan." Celes said and settled in for a conversation. "Shoot." They spent the next several hours chatting about all things sex. When they finished it was very late, she left Roman to find Fred and try some of the things she told her. Celes went to bed thinking of the progress she had made that day.

The next day she found everyone was stairing at her. She went to Muggle Studies and sat down next to Blaise who smiled.

"What is everyone looking at?" she asked, she pulled out her book and notebook for notes.

"They'er wondering about the kiss they heard round Hogwarts." Blaise said smirking.

Celes blushed. "That was...Roman acting out." she snapped.

"Well it seemed to effect you none the less." Blaise said still smirking. Oh how Celes wanted to wipe it away right there in class.

"Har Har Blaise Zabini." she said as the teacher began class.

After class Blaise came up beside her and grabbed her hand as if it were a normal action for him. She looked down at his hand eyebrow raised. "Whats this?" she asked.

"I thought we could go eat lunch together...alone." he said leading her away from the flow of students to the Great Hall.

"Oh? And where, pray tell, did you have in mind?" Celes asked intrigued as she followed.

"The astronomy tower." he said smileing as they turned a corner. Celes giggled as he picked up the pace to a run. "We have to avoid Filch though."

"Yes, best we don't get nicked sneaking around." Celes said as they came to the staircase that led up to the tower. He opened the door for her and she went through when Blaise made it through behind her she stopped breathing hard they stood in the partial dark of the staircase looking at one another and before she could think of what was happening Blaise came over to her. She stood a few steps up so she was at the same height as him, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. She returned his kiss with a quick intake of breath. She pushed into him and then he lifted her still kissing. He dropped their bags on the floor next to them and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hand trailed down her back as he leaned back and nipped her bottom lip she let out a moan and grabbed his head kissing him more fiercely. He walked her over to the wall and pushed her back into it, to brace her then his hand snaked up underneath her shirt. When his hand found her breast Celes nearly came undone. All she wanted was to have him touch her all over. She arched her back as he flicked his thumb over her nipple. She moaned and kissed him again. Then blushing looked at him, "We can't end up...you know...in a stairwell." she said.

Blaise nodded with a moan. "You're right." he removed his hand from her shirt. Celes not willing to let him go just yet kissed him once more before he put her down and offered his hand. They went up the stairs. Celes was still burning from his touch and when they reached the top the cold air made her want to be close to him. So when they dropped their bags again she pounced him. Kissing him again. They sank to the floor touching and feeling ever part of each other. Doing everything except the actually deed.

An hour later the two lay there in each others arms, Blaise stroking her hair. "Lets cut classes for the rest of the day. We're already late for afternoon lessons anyway."

"That sounds nice, I don't have potions until tomorrow so that could work." Celes said dreamily still floating high on what happened.

"I suppose your uncle would notice wouldn't he?" Blaise asked.

"Yeah he would. So are we going together then?" she asked cutting straight to it.

He looked down at her looking up at him and laughed a little. "I think that's what this means. We've been floating around it for weeks." he said

"Good, we may not have had sex but I would still feel cheap if it wasn't…" Celes said.

"It is." he said reaching down to kiss her. She returned the kiss eagerly. They spent the rest of the day up there. She conjured a blanket for them and food. And until dinner they didn't leave. Most of their time was spent talking but the times in between were spent snogging and other things.

For the next two weeks Celes and Blaise found every spare moment to spend together. In spite of all the things going on in the school they managed to find time to sneak off and be together. The stole kisses in dark corridors, or the stacks of the library. Met in the astronomy tower often.

Celes spent a lot of time daydreaming. She kept up on her school work but when Blaise was near by she usually spent a lot of time with her. She saw Roman as well but if their talk had worked out at all Roman and Fred were off doing similar things. Celes felt a spark of anger at that thought but quickly pushed it aside. Roman was happy that's all that mattered.

She occasionally saw Harry now and then but they didn't say much. He was having a difficult year and she had backed away from that.

Celes made her way to the library to find Blaise, she was feeling 'perky' and wanted to see him. She entered the library to see if she could find him but instead she found a very frustrated looking Harry Potter. She timidly walked over and gave a smile.

"Hey Harry. Alright?" she asked. He turned and sighed.

"No not really. Sirius Black wants to kill me. Broke into the school to try to." he said looking at her.

She wrinkled her brow. "Please don't go looking for him." she said with a half smile.

"Who are you to tell me not to go looking for trouble. You haven't said more than two words to me in nearly a month!" Harry said, he was angry.

Celes looked up at him taken slightly aback, but then she got angry. "It was complicated Harry, I didn't know how to explain what was going on with me to you so i just avoided you." she said her voice had an angry edge to it. Harry stepped closer to her.

"With the way things were going between us and the fact that we had that all night conversations before this whole thing with Roman went down would indicate differently." he said touching her hand. She pulled away and stepped away from him.

"Harry, things happened...I'm with Blaise Zabini now." she said softly.

His green eyes darkened at what she said. "Well, I suppose its a good thing I've transferred my affections to another." That stung, Celes felt tears rise in her eyes at those words.

"I never meant to.." Celes tired but Harry cut her off.

"What? Lead me on, make me fall for you only to rip it all away. Look Celes I have enough going on right now without you adding to it all. So I think its best that we just avoid one another for the rest of the year." Harry said he gave her one final look and then left her in the Library tears falling down her cheeks.

Thats how Roman and Fred found her. She looked up and gave them a half smile.

"What happened?" Roman asked going instantly protective.

"Oh Harry and I had a fight, I had it coming. I haven't known how to deal with him or tell him what was going on with Blaise and I until now." Celes said sniffing and wiping her eyes. She looked from Fred to Roman and gave a knowing smile. Fred blushed when he realized she knew what he and Roman had been doing. Celes hugged Roman and kissed her cheek.

"Ill be fine stop worrying." she whispered.

"Alright." Roman said not sounding convinced at all.

Celes got up wiped away the final tears and left the library.

For the rest of the term Celes spent alot of time with Blaise and avoiding Gryffindor tower. She saw Roman in class and as often as possible when not spending time with Blaise. The time for Christmas was upon them when she talked to Harry again and it was only briefly.

She walked up to him and gave a small smile. She was hoping that this went okay. He gave a small smile back and said; "Not going home for holiday either?"

"No, I'm sure Ron already told you that Molly and Arthur are going to Romania for the holiday. So we are staying this Christmas." Celes said bouncing on her toes.

The silence was a bit awkward. Then Harry broke it. "Look about a couple of weeks ago, all that. I didnt mean it." he said softly.

"Youre having a tough year i get it." Celes said back.

"So you and Zabini eh?" he asked, he sounded lite about it but she could hear the edge in his voice which she chose to ignore.

"Yeah, its good. Hes good." Celes said giving a half smile. Harry nodded tightly.

"Er...well...see you then." Harry said his hand brushing hers. Celes tensed for a flash of something but nothing came. It was the first time since she and Roman had unified that, that had not happen. She smiled and nodded.

Celes decided to go to lunch alone apposed to waiting for Blaise as usual. She didn't know why, maybe to process what had happened...or hadn't. But before she knew it she found herself outside of her uncles office door. She looked around almost as if she had been brought to his office by some sort of magic.

She knocked and when her uncles stern voice said enter she did. He looked up and a momentary surprise crossed his face quickly replaced with his normal expression.

"Ms. Diggory, what can I help you with?" he asked. Celes stiffened but then relaxed he was only being formal because even though things were better she had said some pretty awful things to him after her mother died.

"Um, honestly I dont know why im here...but now that i am. Can we talk?" she asked sitting down in one of the two chairs in front of his desk.

"I am here for anything, Celes." he said gently. She smiled in relife.

"Well remember when I came to you for those potion ingredients? Well i never told you how that all played out...I...I miss you Uncle Sev." she whispered.

Severus got up and walked over to sit in the chair next to her, he grabbed her hand. "I miss you too Celes." he smiled, something Severus Snape did so rarely. "Now whats going on?"

"Well we had to unify so I could heal her soul as well as her body and ever since ive been able to feel her thoughts and emotions...and when i would touch people bits of their...future came to me only moments before it would happen. Sometimes it would change because i knew it was going to happen and i headed it off...but….today it stopped. Suddenly and with no warning." Celes said she was distressed about it, and Severus could tell.

"Celes, my dearest? don't you want it to go away?" he asked softly.

"Yes...no…I don't know Uncle Severus. I was scared id be like that for the rest of my life. I was finally getting used to it and now….bugger….im happy but i don't want to offend Roman who is always like that." she said and stopped short and looked at her uncle with fear.

"I will not tell anyone Celes the things you tell me are for me to hear not for me to gossip about." Severus said reassuringly.

"Well I just...I don't want to offend my best friend." she said feeling a little helpless.

"I'm sure you wont, that girl loves you in spite of all the bad that's happened between you two." he said pushing some of her hair back from her face and Celes gave a small laugh.

"Yes I suppose." she said looking up at him. "Still being mean to Harry Potter?" she asked.

"Celes you know I don't like to talk about the Potter boy." Severus said withdrawing from her and leaning back into his chair.

"Fine." she said putting her hands up. "I have a boyfriend." she said

Severus looked like he was going to kill something. "Who? Not Potter?" he asked.

"No, no you will pleased to hear he is a Slytherin." Celes said with a half smile.

"I'm not necessarily pleased about that Celes. Which one?"

"Blaise Zabini." she said her cheeks warming as she thought of him.

"Well I cant say im happy you're dating, you are to young in my oppion but i have not real say." he said.

"Oh Uncle Sev, you always have a say in my life no matter who i live with." Celes said. "I haven't said it but i love you and i know when you sent me to the Weasleys you were just looking out for me."

"I love you too Celes." he said and the two talked for several hours.

The next week Christmas break began, which meant lounging about and that is when Celes started inviting Fred and Roman to the Room of Requirement for evening dates.

Roman sighed as she laid next to the fire in the common room. There were a few people there due to it being Christmas break. Fred, George and Ron all stayed at Hogwarts along with Hermione, Celes, and Lee. Since Celes was with Blaise she had spent time with him. Lee had spent his time walking around and trying to keep his distance.

Ever since the conversation with Celes Things seemed to have changed for her… well, not too much. One thing for sure was the fact she was keeping an emotional distance from Lee. Sure they were friends and hung out but they seemed to have an unspoken agreement to leave their emotions out of the way for a while. Of course the fact that she and Fred were now a couple seemed to factor into it.

Roman looked over to Fred and caught his eye. She gave she smiled and then looked away. She opened the book she was determined to read. She had promised to remove the markings off of Lee and she would follow through on that promise.

'Fred', she thought to herself. So far they hadn't done anything. She had tried coming-onto him but he saw right past her motives. Her feelings were hurt and she felt so undesirable that she had cried. Fred soothed her until she was done. He told her that he loved her and would do anything for her, but he knew her feelings weren't in the right place and that they should go slow. She respected him for that.

Every chance they got from then on was spent with him holding her. Even when she fussed about it, complained about her day, or just napped, he would hold her. There had been some nights she woke up and caught him whispering in her ear.

"You are beautiful, you are protected, and you are loved."

Roman looked over to Fred and ducked her head in embarrassment as she caught his eye again. She had thought he was crazy for doing and saying what he did. But she started to feel more cherished. There were days she found herself actually seeking him out so that she could listen to his words and feel his arms around her.

"What are you doing?" Fred whispered as he sat next to her.

She blushed as she flipped a page. "Nothing, just trying to figure out how to remove a marking spell."

"I don't think your mind is really in it."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you are reading your Monster book of Monsters."

Roman frowned and looked at her book. Sure enough her book was moving. She giggled as she closed her book and strapped it shut. She cooed at it as it growled at her. "You distract me." she finally said.

Fred smiled, "Do I?"

She hit his arm and then leaned on him. "Yes, therefore its your fault."

"Its because you like me."

She smiled and shook her head, "So, will you kiss me now?"

"What?"

Roman smiled as she sat on her knees and leaned into him. "Kiss me." she demanded.

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"Your first kiss should be special."

"But my first kiss was with Celes, how more special can it get? Its only your lips pressed to mine. If I so happen to slip my tongue into your mouth then its just a party."

"And that attitude is why we are not snogging."

She giggled, "I always thought that was a funny word." she giggled again. "Its sounds like a mixture of snore and hog."

Fred leaned his head back and pretended to snore.

"Hey!" she hit him as she straddled his lap. "No snoring."

"Shh, I'm sleeping." he told her.

Roman leaned over him and gently kissed his lips, "Then I shall wake you with a kiss." she bit her lower lip as he tensed. "I don't mind being the aggressor."

"That's the problem, Ro. You are too comfortable being the aggressor. I want you to feel and act like a lady. Let me be your knight."

She frowned at him, "I am who I am, Fred." she hissed. "I will never act or be the damsel in distress. Its not who I am."

"That is not what I meant."

"Then what, do you mean, Fred." she growled.

Fred sighed as he wrapped his arms around her. she tried to fight him but he held her tighter. "List to me, Roman."

"Let go of me. I don't want to hear it."

"Like it or not you are going to hear it over and over again until you understand. You are beautiful, you are protected, and you are loved."

Feeling trapped, she screamed. She felt everyone's attention on her but she didn't care. She was trapped and angry.

"Fred," Ron called nervously."

"Shut it, Ronald." Fred snapped. He continued to stare at Roman.

Roman glared at him. It was now a battle of who blinked first. The whole room grew tensed. Hermione, Harry and Ron left as George shuffled uncomfortably and went up to his dorm room. "I'm not going to fall under your stupid excuse to feel sorry for yourself. You are either playing by my rules or not at all."

"I will not change." She growled at him.

"I'm not asking you to change. I'm asking you to take a good look at yourself. Think about what the bloody hell you are doing. What is your main motivations for doing what you are doing."

"I just wanted you to kiss me. Is that too hard to believe? I want you to kiss me and touch me, but you are making this into a bigger issue than it is."

"Roman, you are not in touch with your feelings. You think that is what you want but it is not."

"I think I would know what I want since they are _my_ feelings."

"Do you know you don't feel anything when your eyes are black?"

"What are you talking about?" she hissed at him.

Fred sighed and set her beside him and then conjured a mirror. "Look at your self."

Roman snatched the mirror from him and looked at herself. She paused and gasped. "My…"

"Yes, your eyes. George and I have been noticing that since your first year. Usually it happens when you are angry. When you becoming angry you become unfeeling. All year long this year your eyes have mainly been that color."

She put the mirror down and looked at the fire. She didn't know what to think. But all she could think about was Celes' words. 'You have a good heart, but I'm worried you are heading down a dark path, Roman. I don't want anything bad to happen to you.'

"Roman," Fred whispered. "I truly do want to kiss you, but I feel you are not yourself. I want you to feel special, and loved. When I say I want you to be a lady, I mean I want you to rant, rage, cry, and smile. I want you to show your true emotions. Not be a cold unfeeling person that is willing to do things so that she can feel something for a short time."

"I see." she said quietly.

The portrait door swung open and Lee walked in. Roman looked over at him and he paused. He looked at both of them and then gave a nod. He didn't say anything but just went up to his dorm. Tears stung her eyes as she looked at the empty space of the portrait door.

"I have to go for a walk." she told Fred.

"Ro,"

"No, I have to get my mind straight." she told him and then ran out of the common room. What was truly going on with her? Did she really turn cold so that she wouldn't feel anything and then turn to the physical aspect of a relationship to feel a little something? Maybe she really was headed down a dark path. What could be effecting her that would make her start on a path like she was.

She snorted to herself, "Well that list is the shortest list." she said aloud.

"Do you usually talk to yourself?"

Roman turned to find Professor Dumbledore standing behind her.

"Sometimes," she told him as she lowered her head and kicked at her shoe.

"Does it help?"

"Not usually."

"Would you like to talk to me?"

She shrugged, "I don't know."

"I find myself thirsty for some hot tea. Would you care to join me?"

"Why is it always tea?" She asked as she followed him to his office.

Dumbledore waves his wand and a tea set appeared. He sat down and poured them tea.

Roman looked at the steaming hot liquid. "I lost my emotions." She finally said. "I don't know how or when but I have seemed to have lost them. I feel cold, dark, and angry all the time. I have nightmares every night and I don't know what to do." She finally looked up and looked Professor Dumbledore into his eyes.

He sipped his tea and contemplated his answer for a bit. "I find if I turned on a light I am no longer scared."

Roman rolled her eyes. "That's easy enough but how do I turn on my emotions?"

"Well, let's think about it for a moment. If you feel dark on the inside what can we do to turn on the light?" He sipped his tea again.

She was feeling really annoyed and agitated with Dumbledore and his hidden meanings. Why couldn't people just come out and say it. They always have a riddle for you. Especially older people.

With a sigh she picked up hot tea and sipped on it. The rich flavor of chocolate covered her tongue as the warmth of it filled her.

"I find that after a nice cup of tea and talking I get a little sleepy and when I wake in the morning I find the answer awaits me in the morning light."

Roman got the hint that time. She finished her tea and then made her way back to Gryffindor tower. When she entered she found the common room empty. She sighed as she picked up her Monster book of Monsters.

"Fred said you two had a little disagreement." Lee said.

She looked up and found him sitting on the stairs. "It was nothing to be concerned about."

"I see." An awkward silence fell between them.

"I'm researching for a way to make those marks go away." She paused. "I don't think it's fair to punish the both of us."

"Yeah." He ran his fingers over a dark box. "I wanted to give this to you. Its your Christmas gift."

"Oh."

Lee held it out to her. She paused for a bit and then walked to him. She stood in front of him and took the gift.

"Its nothing special but it was something I wanted you to have."

She opened the box and unfolded the tissue paper. She found smooth lavender crystals with butterflies etched into them. She picked one up and it grew hot in her hand. She hissed and dropped it into the box.

"What are they?"

"Not really sure. I found them when we had gone to Hogsmeade and I thought they suited you. Maybe I should have asked. If you don't like them..."

"No, I like them. They are pretty." She looked up at Lee and gave a half smile. "I enjoy everything you give me." She looked down at the box. "Even the smallest of things. Thank you."

He nodded then stood up. He climbed a few stairs then turned around. "For what it's worth, I think you are the most passionate person I've met." with that said he went back upstairs.

Roman stared at the empty staircase for a long time. Those words, those simple words he had provided her with set her body to tingle. The memories she tried so hard to keep at the back of her mind started to set fire to her body. She could feel his hand on her, and the way her body was aroused. She quickly shook her head and pushed her memories and her arousal away. She looked around grabbed her book and went on to bed.

The next day Roman woke with a with shouting of cheer. She looked around a little confused then everything dawned on her. It was Christmas day therefore the cheering was most likely Ron and Harry opening their gifts. She moaned and flopped back down in the bed and pulled the covers over her head. It was quiet for a long moment then out of no where a loud cheer of excitement. She moaned again and rolled over then she moaned again. It was too late now she was up. She sat up and looked at the gifts at the foot of her bed. She rubbed the sleep out of her eye and picked up her gifts.

Some hours later Celes came into the room. "Good morning and Merry Christmas!" she shouted

Roman looked at her and shook her head. "You are extremely happy."

"Of course, its Christmas. So what did you get?" she asked as she bounced on Roman's bed.

Roman showed Celes the fake wands George and Fred gave her, of course she got new journals from Fred with a love note in it, some more quills from Hermione, candy from Ron, and mild love potion from Cedric which was from Zonko's.

"Ro?"

She looked up from her candy and looked at Celes "Huh."

"Did Lee not give you anything? I don't see anything from him."

"Oh, he gave me my gift last night." Roman jumped out of bed and opened her truck and pulled out the box of crystals. "He gave me some lavender colored stones, no wait, crystals. They are purple crystals with butterflies etched onto them."

"Let me see," Celes said as she looked into the box, "Ooh, Roman," she breathed. "These are Amethyst crystals. Real Amethyst crystals. Do you know what Amethyst crystals do?"

"No, he said he got them because he thought they suited me."

"Oh, and they do very well. Amethyst help stimulate and sooth the mind and emotions. And you really need that."

"Hey!" Roman said with indignation.

"I don't mean it in a bad way, I'm just saying that this year you have been on a major emotional and mind bend. So these Amethyst will help you out a lot. too bad he didn't give you a chain to put them on. Then you would be able to wear them."

Roman frowned as she looked at the crystals, "Last night when I held on, it grew hot in my hand. Why do you think that would happen?"

"Well, it could be the fact that you have been somewhat dark this year and it just needs to cleanse you. Kind of like cleaning a wound, so its understandable that you will be hot for a bit but then it will cool down. Ah! found it!" she said as she pulled out a silver necklace chain out of the box. "Well breakfast will be served soon so go get ready." she told her as she picked up a crystal and started to add it to the necklace.

Roman laughed, "Yes, Celes." She grabbed all her things and left for the baths.

From the window there was a tap. Celes looked up and turned to the window. A brown hawk sat on the window sill. She frowned and walked over to the window and opened it. It dropped a note and took off flying. She frowned and picked up the note. Her frown deepend as she saw it was addressed to her.

 _Miss Diggory,_

 _Please accept my invitation for lunch in my office._

 _A. D._

 _PS. please do not inform your friends of your invitation._

Celes frowned and pocked the note as Roman came back into the room. Celes smiled and handed her the necklace. "I put it together. So now you have to wear it."

Roman scrunched up her face, "If you say so."

"Yes, yes I do. It will help you."

"But it grew hot when I touched it."

"Oh don't be a crybaby and just put it on."

Roman put it on and once again the crystal grew hot but not overly hot. She felt the power of the crystal's essence enter her and spread within her and in her mind. As if she was being released from something that held her tight she gave a sigh of relief.

"See, now you are feeling better, I can tell." Celes smiled, "Come on, lets go to breakfast."

After breakfast they all went and experimented with their gifts. Roman teased Fred with the love potion Cedric gave her. As Ron, Harry, Celes, and Hermione all argued over the mysterious Firebolt. Soon before she even knew it Celes was headed to Dumbldore's office for lunch. She gave the password that was given and then climbed the circular staircase.

"Hello? Professor Dumbledore?"

A hawk called out and startled her. "War, don't startle our friend, she is a guest today." A tall man stood behind Dumbledore's desk. He wore all black with a dark blue dress shirt. If Celes didn't know any better she would have thought he was Roman, but a male version of her. She gasped and took a step back. "Please, don't leave. I will not hurt you."

Celes looked at the man suspiciously and slowly stepped forward again. "Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded.

"I would like to give my gratitude for what you did for my daughter. I am sure you have figured that Roman is my daughter."

Celes straightened her back and nodded. "Yes sir, I got that the moment I walked in. You're welcome. But why did you come all this way, you could have written a letter or something." she said she didn't relax but she did sit down in one of the two chairs across the desk from him.

"Please let me introduce myself, I am Alan. As you say it is true I could have just written you, but it would be impersonal. The life of my daughter is dear to me since she is the only one I have left."

"Her life is _dear_ to you? She says that you don't even care about her. Why should I believe a single word you are saying to me right now." then her suspicion flared. _Does he know who I and am?_ she flew out of her seat. "Do you know who I am? Do you?" she demanded she felt like her heart was going to explode out of her chest.

"Celes Diggory, daughter of Roselyna Snape, whom is not related to Severus Snape but to the Weasely family. Father is Amos Diggory. You were marked when you were a child and to be wedded into the Malfoy family, however, since the death of your mother you are now living with the Weasley. Yes, Miss Diggory, I know who you are."

With each passing word Roman's dad was saying Celes felt her eyes grow bigger and bigger and she was at the door when he stopped. "What the bloody hell are you MI6? How do you know all that about me. Only the people closest to me know any of that." she fumbled for the handle of the door only to find that it was currently gone.

"Please, Miss Diggory," he said with amusement in his voice, "I did not mean to frighten you. Its not my intention. I swear," he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair and sat in a chair. "I must admit I have been keeping my feelings shielded from my daughter far to long that I forget how to behave myself. I mean you no harm, its just that I…" he trailed off in defeat, "If you would like to go, I understand." he waved his hand and the door appeared.

Celes saw a little of the mans armor crack and her heart softened. "No, I will stay. If you care for Roman why don't you just tell her?" she asked going to sit down again.

"It is really complicated." he paused and bit his lower lip just as Roman would do. "Dumbledore told me you healed her spirit by fusing with her. So you know that she is special. Well because of that she can also be very dangerous and at her full ability her powers can be the most dangerous to her enemys. By shielding my feelings from her I can protect myself from her wrath."

"Lee…" she whispered. "Do you know how to remove the marks?" she asked intently.

Alan closed his eyes and rolled up his sleeves, he revealed different markings but yet almost the same design on his forearm. "Do they look something like these?" he asked.

"Yes they do in fact." Celes said standing to get a closer look. The healer in her wanted to seize his arm and examine his markings. "Do they go away? Can they?" she asked.

He smiled and held out his arm to him, "Go ahead, I can see you want to examine them." he gave a sighed as he looked lovingly at them. "It's her mother's magic. She marked me one day when she became extremely jealous. I don't really understand them but I do know that they can only be applied upon one's true mate. They only come off when I wish them to come off." he gave a laughed. "Roman's mother was pissed at me for taking the Dark Mark. She told me only she can mark me and I am only hers. She actually saved my life with them. They override Voldemort's Dark Mark so that I no longer feel him calling. To him I am dead."

"Makes me wish I was Roman's true mate." she said pulling the ribbon off her arm and showing him the faded Mark. "But holy...that means that Lee is...bloody hell!" she looked at his Marks a little longer feeling them with her hands. "That is just...I'm not...can I...but no that would just….oh bloody hell." she said sitting down. "I suppose I could tell Lee and can will the Marks away so he can stop wearing long sleeves...but I think maybe I'll tell him that then tell Roman I figured out a way to make them go away….make her think she fixed it...help her dark twistyness lighten a little." she said to herself not really talking to Alan anymore.

Alan chuckled and waved his hand, "I believe I promised lunch." Food appeared. "If you would like, I can make you a talisman that will help with your Dark Mark, however, I must warn you. We all must walk our own paths. Maybe your path has something upon it that you must discover before you can remove your mark." He picked up a chalice and poured himself some juice. The first think he reached for was something sweet.

"Don't you think you should eat some real food first?" she asked seeing where Roman got her sweet tooth made her chuckle a bit. She grabbed a sandwhich off the pile that had appeared. "So wheres Dumbledore?' she said looking around. Fauwks was there but he was sleeping.

"Dumbledore is downstairs at the Christmas lunch feast. He figured it would be a good time to invite you here at this time since Roman would most likely be occupied with her other friends. However, I shall not keep you too long. I know my daughter well enough to know that she will start looking for you soon." he waved a hand a small box appeared. "This is for you. Again, it is my gratitude for saving her life."

Celes blushed and pulled the box to her and opened it to find a leather bag inside she pulled it out and looked at it, it was dyed a light red color she looked up at Alan. "Its beautiful...erm what is it?" she asked.

"It is an herb bag. It holds some of our rarest herbs known to my magic. It will help you with my daughter and with other illnesses you may come across. I would advise you hide it from Roman until next year. I am not sure she remembers these herbs but in case that she does, its better to hide them than to have her suspicious of where they came from. As you may know, once she gets something in her head its almost impossible to get out until she finally realize it for herself." he smiled, "She gets that from me." he drank more juice. "Miss. Diggory, would you be so kind and tell me how my daughter has been faring? As you can imagine I don't get many letters telling me about what goes on here and how she is doing."

Celes looked up at him and gave a half smile. "Shes...doing okay…" she said carefully "Struggling a bit with normal teenage drama I suppose but for the most parts shes good...I mean the whole Sirius Black thing didn't help...goes and gets herself all spiritually splinched and no one can figure out how to fix her except me...doesn't even tell me….but you know shes good." Celes said blushing a bit at her rant. "But apparently I'm a little sore about it all."

Alan chuckled, "I am glade she has you as a best friend. You care for her and you are willing to take care of her. Thank you." he sighed, "War," he called. The hawk settled upon his shoulder and he fed it some of the meat that was in one of the sandwiches. "Do you have any questions for me?"

"Um, can I tell Roman I saw you today? I hate lieing to her." Celes asked.

"I am sorry, but I'd prefer that you do not. Especially now with the Souless Ones guarding Hogwarts. It would not be wise. If you feel uncomfortable about it I understand and I am willing to wipe this meeting out of your mind."

Celes spit out her pumpkin juice at the last phrase. "What? No, no, no, I am not forgetting things cause I'll have that feeling you know the one that makes you crazy cause you think you forgot something? No no I'll think of something I suppose." she wiped her shirt with a napkin. "I think maybe I should go now." she said standing.

"Thank you again, Miss. Diggory. Thank you for both saving Roman's life and for giving me this chance to get to know you." he waved his hand and the food disappeared. "If you need anything just let me know. I will be more than willing to help you."

Celes nodded, "Thank you for allowing this time."

He gave a bow and she left.

Hours later Celes walked into the com room and found everyone arguing. She frowned as she covered her ear. "What is going on?" she asked. When she didn't get anyone's attention she stood on a table, " OY! YOU LOT, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" she yelled.

Everyone quieted down and looked at her. Roman took a step forward, "You see, what had happen was…"

"Oh Merlin, Ron, you are red as your hair, what is going on?"

"Hermione told McGonnogall that Harry got the Firebolt and she thinks its hexed."

"Well, it may be hexed." Hermione defended.

"Is it true Cedric Diggory gave Roman a love potion?" Fred demanded.

"Fred, I told you it was a gift and I am keeping it." Roman frowned. "And Cedric is a gentleman."

"He is a git!" George pipped up.

"You are just upset because Hufflepuff beat us in the match."

"He didn't win fairly." All three Weasley pipped up at once.

Roman turned to Hermione, "Hermione, "I believe we are not wanted here. So we are going to the library. I have research to do and so do you." on the way our she turned to Fred and smiled, "I believe Cedric beat you fair and square, you are just upset because you we have a special bond between us." She bit her bottom lip and Fred frowned at her. "Besides if I can't get any snogging out of you then I will out of Cedric." she teased.

Fred turned a brighter red of shade, "YOU BlOODY HELL WILL NOT!" he yelled at her.

She giggled as she left.

Celes looked at everyone for a second and then followed after Roman. When she caught up to her they were in the corridor.

"When I told you all that stuff I didn't mean my brother." she said.

"Oh please Celes, its just a game, I'm not really going to go 'snog' him I'm just playing around." she said. "Come on lets go do something. You can tell me where you were during Christmas lunch." she continued down the corridor Celes trailing behind.

"I was just you know spending some time alone. Its the holidays and Cedric went home." Celes said softly looking down.

"That's not the whole story given that the whole Weasley clan is here." Roman said stopping to look at her. "Are you doing okay?" she asked reaching out to touch her arm. Celes pulled away and continued to walk down the hall.

"I'm fine really, just you know had a sad spot I'll survive." she said.

The rest of the day the two of them spent together, and the rest of vacations Celes split her time between Roman and Blaise.

The next month and a half went by in a blur and before she knew it Celes was planning Romans surprise party.

She walked up to Fred and gave a wave. "Please, please, please tell me you have at least kissed Roman?" she asked sitting down.

"No, she doesn't talk to me very often and spends more time picking on me about Cedric than trying to be with me." Fred said sounding miserable.

"You're thick. So thick. Look I'm planning this party for her okay, you need to be involved because you are her boyfriend." she said handing him a list. "I know you can make sure this is all here on Saturday."

"Yes, I'll get George to help." he said kissing his cousins cheek and leaving her on the couch. Celes sat and waited for Lee to come down from the boys dormitory. She stood when he hit the bottom of the stairs and walked over to him. She grabbed his hand and gave him a smile.

"You will be coming to the party wont you?" she asked.

"Party?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes for Roman's birthday. The two of you are orbiting around each other...please come. She looked down at his arms and a thought popped into her head.

"I know how to make those marks go away." she said softly and his eyes widened.

"You do?" he asked. She nodded and looked around the room as if Roman was going to pop out of the roll top desk in the corner.

"Yes, you just will them away but don't do it yet for her birthday I think you can help me by making her think she got rid of them herself. I think that I can whip up something that is just like lotion and then you can just will it away." she said and Lee looked a little reluctant.

"Look Lee come on, those crystals you got her are helping but we have to heal her mind too. She has to know that _she_ was the one who got rid of them. It will help her heal." Celes said with soft insistence.

"I suppose I can help with that." he said.

"Thank you." she said standing on her toes she kissed his cheek. "You love her, I'm glad."

"Yes well…" he said pointing to the portrait hole and then kinda sidled out Celes giggling at his evasion.

She sighed and clapped her hands together. Tomorrow was going to be...good? She thought and then hustled out of the common room to enlist some more people's help to make tomorrow amazing.

The next day was not amazing in the morning when Celes found out that Fred had not gone to the kitchens because he had spent all last evening following Roman to make sure she wasn't off in a dark corner with Cedric. Celes proceeded to call him thick once again and then say that Roman had gone to bed early that night making Fred turn a shade of green she had never seen before. She patted him on the shoulder and then took the list and proceeded to go find his brother. George was more then happy to help out and even enlisted the help of his sort of girlfriend as well. Celes kissed her cousin on the cheek and floated off to talk to Blaise. The party wasn't going to be in Gryffindor tower because she had invited students from other houses.

Later that night Celes waited in the Room of Requirement while Cedric lured Roman to the room...not in a gross way but just in a purely to mess with Fred type way...or so Roman thought.

Everyone waited in the dark and when the door opened the lights went up and everyone popped up and yelled "SURPRISE" Roman looked like she was about to draw her wand and kill someone until Celes stepped forward.

"I will…" she exclaimed and then put her wand down and looked sheepishly around the room. "Oh a party for me?" she said pretending modesty.

"Happy Birthday Ro-Ro." Celes said hugging her best friend close.

"Happy Birthday." Cedric said side hugging her as Fred came forward. He looked upset and turned away abruptly and walked away. Roman gave a small smile.

"You really need to stop messing with that boy Roman, hes too thick to figure it out unless I spell it out." Celes said leading Roman to one of the couches to sit.

Roman just rolled her eyes and looked expectantly around. "Where's the cake?" she asked.

Celes shook her head. "You got presents too." she said.

"Yes, but I get to eat as much cake as I want, its my birthday." Roman said bobbing up and down still looking for the cake.

"No you don't, birthday or not you're a nightmare with too much sugar." Celes said. "The last time you were on a sugar high or energy potion high I found you in a closet with you Ukulele writing very embarrassing songs." Celes said clucking her tounge. She turned to the gifts table and pulled a beautiful purple velvet box off the top. "This first, cause I have no idea who its from." she said and handed it to Roman as the guests piled around Roman to watch her open it.

She pulled the top off and gave a small gasp. Celes leaned forward and gasped as well. Inside was a tiny baby bird but it wasn't just a bird it was a Phoenix.

"Oh Roman, is there a note?" she asked in awe.

"Yeah, it says; Use it well. Use it well? What the hell do you _use_ one of these birds for?" she asked and everyone shook their heads. Celes conjured a place to put the baby bird and they continued to open gifts. Then came Celes and Lee's joint gift. Celes handed her the bottle of lotion and had Lee step forward.

"Okay, so Lee and I started working on this after your….outburst, where you kissed me, and we figured out a way to get rid of these marks on his arms." she said at Roman's confused look.

"Really?" she said unsure.

"Yes Ro, just here rub it on his arms where the marks are." Celes said encouragingly. Lee dutifully held out his arms. Celes felt Roman grow nervous as she opened the bottle and put some of the lotion in her palm she hesitated for another minute and then began to slather the lotion all over Lee's arms. Then suddenly the marks began to fade and Roman's lip began to tremble.

"Its working!" she exclaimed as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"Yes!" Celes said hugging her friend. Then impulsively Roman swooped out and pulled Lee into a hug. Celes didn't hear what she said to him but she felt Romans emotions soften to him. Then they pulled apart both of them looking, and in Roman's case Celes could tell, feeling awkward.

"Okay now its time for cake." Celes said after a few minutes and Roman let out a squeal of delight and went to wait for her cake.

The rest of the school year was...uneventful for them. Harry had a rough end of the year but that seemed to be his lot in life. Celes got onto the train with Roman to go back to Kings Cross and they rode mostly joking and talking. Roman was still giving Fred a hard time about Cedric even though she had left that idea long ago. When they got off the train in London Celes hugged Roman tightly.

"I'll be with my dad this summer, he invited me...it ought to be properly awkward with Ced's mum there and all." Celes said when she pulled away there was a misting in her eyes.

"Well you know I'll write when I can, with my handy new Phoenix it should be easier anyways." Roman said holding up the owl cage that held her now young looking bird.

"Do try, I always think you've died or something. Be safe in whatever you do over the summer and I love you, you know?" Celes said wiping her cheeks.

"I love you too Celes." Roman said hugged her one last time then turned to leave. Celes knew that things were going to be different now...she just didn't know how yet.

"Oy, Roman!" Fred called out.

Roman turned, "What, Fred."

Fred pulled her by the waist and tilted her head back. Before Roman knew what exactly was going on she found she was being kissed. She squealed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

"Fred Weasley," she said breathlessly, "What will I ever tell Cedric?"

"That you are mine and he better stay the bloody hell away from you." he growled and kissed her again.

She laughed as she pulled away, "It took you forever." With that said she disappeared into the crowd leaving the platform.


End file.
